Way Too Good At Goodbyes
by idontknowmaybe
Summary: 6 days and 7 nights in paradise. (AU. Multiple characters. Multi-chapters)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I'm back. First let me say thank you to all of you that left me some suggestions for stories. There were a couple that I really liked and will probably use in the future for a one shot or two but for now, started this story. A few months ago my laptop completely broke down and I had to get a new one. Well as I was trying to think of what to write I remembered that I started this story when I was having a tough time writing 'Burn'. I'd really only had one rough chapter saved at the time and didn't know what I was going to do with it. But then I got back into Burn and kind of just left it. Then I saw the photo reposted on Instagram of the girls on their beach vacation and it was the original inspiration for this story so I just started writing it again. I hope you like it. I have a few chapters written and like to update regularly. Your comments and idea's help me immensely. You can leave them in the comments or PM me if you want. Hope you guys enjoy...**

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CHAPTER 1: NO WAY THAT YOU'LL EVER SEE ME CRY

The sharp jab to her ribs jolted her from her concentration. She looked down quickly to the spot where the pain was inflected and followed the arm back to its owner. "What?" Stacie hissed.

Aubrey nodded her head across the isle of the small private jet.

Stacie looked across the plane as Aubrey silently requested. She pursed her lips to the side as she watched the redhead. One of her oldest and best friends, sitting with her head rested back. Head phones on. Eyes closed. Tear stained cheeks. Stacie's heart broke. She closed the advanced issue of Vanity Fair Magazine. The one that was coming out next month. The one with her on the cover. She leant closer to the blonde next to her. "This trip will be good for her." Stacie whispered. "She just needs to get away. She needs to reset." Stacie said optimistically.

"I hope your right" Aubrey replied.

Stacie turned her head and smiled. "Of course I'm right Bree. I'm always right." She winked.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and returned to the documents that were sitting in front of her on her computer. Chloe's latest project. The details of the actress's contract laid out in front of her for her review before Chloe would sign it. A four month project in New Zealand set to begin shooting in 8 months. She combed through the document for the 20th time making sure every detail was correct after the studio's latest adjustments.

 _3\. The Artist further undertakes:-_

 _(a) that the artist will comply with all reasonable and notified directions, regulations and rules in force in place where the Artist is required to render services hereunder and will comply with orders given by the Producer of it's representatives from time to time_

 _(b) to keep the Producer informed of the Artist's whereabouts and telephone number from time to time prior to and throughout the engagement_

"Ah no" Aubrey said to herself as she used the strikethrough feature on her computer to highlight article 3 section b. "Stalker." She changed the font to red and underlining it as she began typing her addendum in the agreement.

(b) to keep the Producer informed of the Artist's whereabouts as it reasonably relates to the project throughout the engagement only

Aubrey glanced back over to her friend who hadn't moved. She knew she wasn't sleeping. Her breathing wasn't slow and steady. It was too erratic. Aubrey watched a single tear escape from Chloe's eye and travel down the length of her cheek before returning her attention back to her work. Praying Stacie was right. Praying that this is what Chloe needed. A break. A reset.

 **XxXxXx**

"Alright flat butts" Amy said loudly as she walked into the small meeting room. "New charter coming in today." She began passing out the packaged information.

"You can't be serious" Jesse said excitedly as he flipped through the documents.

"There's only two things I'm serious about Jesse." Amy answered quickly. "Money and sex."

Beca recoiled in her chair not wanting to think about Amy and the latter.

"Unless you're talking about sex on money and I've done that a few times and"

"Please stop talking" Jesse begged. "I'm sorry I said anything."

"There's just something about the feel of money against this sexy body" Amy ran her hand over her stomach seductively, "that really"

"Please tell us about the charter" Beca spat out quickly interrupting her friend again.

Amy's eyes snapped open and she quickly returned to business. "Yes. A group of 5 VIPs. Whatever they want they get" Amy said sternly. "And I mean whatever they want. Got it?" Amy asked.

Jesse and Flo nodded quickly. Beca rolled her eyes.

"Spoiled brats" She mumbled to herself under her breath. She didn't even bother opening the information Amy passed around. It didn't matter to her who they were. She was there to do her job and she would. She always did.

"What was that Shawshank?" Amy asked.

"Nothing" Beca replied plastering a smile on her face.

"Okay, so Jesse. I want you off the other charters and on these ladies for the duration of their stay. Where ever they want to go, at whatever time, you take them. Their private plane arrives in about an hour. I want you there waiting for them. They never wait for you, you are always waiting for them. Got it?" Amy asked.

"Done" Jesse said with a smile.

"Lily, security is tight on this one. I want VIP treatment where ever they go. Restaurants, clubs, walking on the beach so you and Jesse will need to keep in constant communication on this one. Absolutely no one gets close to them unless invited by the charter. Understand?" Amy said focusing her attention on her head of security.

Amy squinted her eyes when Lily's mouth opened. It looked as if words of acknowledgement came out of her mouth but Amy certainly didn't hear her. A moment later a head nod gave her the confirmation she needed.

"Flo. Everything set at the Estate?" Amy asked.

"Yes. I was there this morning and everything is in order. The place is spotless. All the requested items were purchased and are loaded in the pantries and refrigerator. My team and I will be there at 10:00 am daily to clean and stock." Flo answered with a smile.

"Great. Also I got an email this morning requesting sunrise yoga session's daily for the members of the charter. I want you to lead it." Amy instructed.

"But, I have 4 other villa's" Flo began to argue.

"Don't care Flo. Work it out." Amy interrupted her.

Beca sat quietly twiddling her thumbs waiting until it was her turn to take orders. Beca tried to hide her smile as Flo began whispering something in Spanish next to her. She knew a couple of curse words and heard both of them in Flo's quiet rant.

"And Mitchell" Amy said turning attention to the brunette.

"Yes" Beca drew out sarcastically.

"This is an important group." Amy said looking down at the untouched document sitting in front of her best friend. "If we do well with this charter, it could open up a lot of opportunities for us."

"Come on Amy. We will do fine. Once we've seen one group of spoiled entitled rich kids, we've seen them all." Beca said quickly. She could feel the eyes of the group on her.

"I'm serious Beca." Amy warned. "I want everything perfect. So do us all a favor and don't be you. Be the happier, nicer version of Beca Mitchell we all know you can pretend to be."

Beca slowly raised her right hand and mocked a salute. "Aye aye Captain."

Amy let out a long breath. "Okay. So, Benji is our best host and already at the Estate. He'll be staying in the guest quarters for the duration of the 7 day charter."

"Great" Beca said as she began to stand up. "Meeting adjourned?"

"One more thing Becs" Amy said. The group of friends all stopped and looked between Beca and Amy. "You'll be staying for the duration of the charter as well."

"What?" Beca said loudly. "Come on Amy, really?"

"Yes really. You're the executive chef. You will cook all their meals. Whatever they request." Amy smiled knowing she saved that piece of information for last on purpose.

"I better run. I need to get changed and over to the airport." Jesse said interrupting Beca and Amy's stare down. "I'll see you at the Estate?" He asked Amy.

"Yes, I'll be there to welcome our guests." Amy confirmed.

Beca waited until all of the other employee's left the room before speaking to Amy. "I'm not staying there. Bumper's a great chef. He can be at their beck and call. I need to be able to supervise the other groups we have." She argued.

"Nope." Amy said quickly as she gathered her paper.

"Amy" Beca sighed, "When we started this company and I agreed to give you the decision making responsibilities it wasn't so you could boss me around. This is half my company too. You're not my boss. You're my partner."

"And not as your boss but as you're partner, I'm telling you that this group is important Beca. Bumper can supervise the other parties. I don't want him anywhere near this charter. I want you there because you're the best chef in Mexico. This group has influence Becs. They could help us take this little company to something big. This can put us on the map. We need this." Amy argued.

Beca shook her head softly. "I like our company how it is. We don't need to be bigger. We are doing just fine. I like being able to cook during the day and DJ at night. I like having time to walk on the beach. I like it just the way it is. I don't want to be on the map." Beca repeated Amy's words. "We moved here and started this so we could be off the map Amy."

"Beca" Amy said gently as she placed her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "Trust me. Have I ever lead you astray?" Amy asked.

Beca narrowed her eyes. "So many times" She mumbled.

 **XxXx**

' _I'm never gonna let you close to me_

 _eEven though you mean the most to me_

 _'_ _Cause every time I open up, it hurts_

 _So I'm never gonna get to close to you_

 _Even when I mean the most to you_

 _In case you go and leave me in the dirt'_

The past 3 weeks ran through her mind on repeat as she sat on the plane white knuckling the arm rests on either side of her. She wasn't afraid to fly, that wasn't the reason she hadn't loosened her grip on the arm rests. She was squeezing tightly so she wouldn't cry. Out loud anyway. She couldn't contain the tears that silently slipped from her closed eyes but somehow squeezing her hands tightly around something allowed her to remain silent. She hoped that her friends were too busy doing their own thing to notice that she was crying. She didn't want to open her eyes and check so instead, she just listened to her playlist. The one she put the finishing touches on in the car while they drove to LAX. The one she'd been adding to every time she heard another song that reminded her of him. The reason for the tears. Well part of the reason. The other part was because she'd let herself get into this situation again. And it ended up as it always does and she was disappointed in herself. It wasn't his fault, not totally. He was just doing the things that she had pretended were okay with her. Even though they hurt her. She was just being who she thought she should be. But it wasn't who she was. It wasn't what she really wanted.

' _But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry_

 _And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry_

 _And every time you walk out, the less I love you_

 _Baby, we don't stand a chance, it's sad but it's true'_

Over the sad lyrics she heard the soft ding of the intercom system. Chloe released her grip on the hand rail and reached for her phone. She turned down the volume to listen,

 _"_ _We are beginning out decent into Cabo San Lucas International Airport and should be landing in approximately 10 minutes. Local time is currently 3:47pm and the weather is a perfect 86 degrees with 40% humidity. I hope that you ladies have enjoyed your flight and thank you for choosing Evo as your private charter company. If there is anything you need before we land please signal our flight attendant. We hope you enjoy your stay in paradise."_

Chloe opened her eyes slowly allowing her blue eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight that was flooding into the plane. She glance around at her best friends who were all smiling and eager to arrive and begin this vacation. Aubrey and Stacie were both leaning towards a small window looking out at whatever was below them. Chloe turned around to see CR taking a selfie making her best kissy face to the camera and Jessica darting in and out of CR's camera laughing and interrupting whatever CR was doing.

Just seeing these girls smile. Her best and closest friends in the world smile and laugh made her feel better. Chloe took a deep breath and let the thought that maybe this get away would be good for her wash over her slowly.

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 **SONG CRED: Sam Smith, Too Good at Goodbyes**

 **AN2:** **Tell me what you guys think...**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: BOOM CLAP

 **Night One**

"Thank you so much and enjoy your stay" the flight attendant said with a bright smile as Chloe passed her on her way out of the jet. As soon as the sunlight hit her face, Chloe's eyes closed. It felt wonderful. She took a deep relaxing breath as she held onto the railing stepping down one step at a time. She heard the man welcome them and she heard Stacie squeal in response. The gentle breeze pushed red locks across her face. Chloe opened her eyes and flipped her hair to the side to allow it to blow without getting in her eyes.

The crew from the plane was loading their luggage into the large black SUV that sat a few feet away from the staircase. A man with short brown hair whom Chloe guessed was around their age stood with a large bright smile. He was dressed in a black slacks and brightly shinned black shoes with a crisp white button up shirt tucked neatly into his pants. Chloe was glad that he didn't have to wear a jacket, it was way too hot for that. The ladies gathered around the SUV as he began to speak.

"Welcome to Cabo San Lucas Ladies. My name is Jesse and I am with Lux Cabo. Our team has prepared your private estate the way you requested and are awaiting your arrival. I will be your group's personal chauffeur for the duration of your stay. Anywhere you wish to go, it will be my pleasure to take you there."

"I bet it will be his pleasure" Stacie whispered leaning towards Chloe who tried to suppress her smile as he continued.

"Please don't hesitate to ask for anything during your stay ladies." He got the thumbs up from the plane staff that the luggage was loaded and returned his eyes to the beautiful women standing in front of him trying his best to not, for lack of a better word fangirl out, in front of them. "I believe we are ready." He smiled brightly again as he opened up the back door of the SUV and held out his hand for them to take as they each climbed inside.

After each woman was seated and Stacie had already found the bottle of champagne and passed around the glasses, Jesse shut his door soundly. He turned back towards them, "We will be heading over to your rental but first, would you ladies like to dine in tonight or would you like for us to arrange a table at one of the best restaurants in Cabo?" Jesse asked.

The group looked around at each other, Stacie was the first to speak. She leaned forward towards Jesse, "Is there a club around here that you would recommend?" She asked.

"Actually" Jesse smiled. "There is a great club not far from one of Cabo's best restaurants just off the beach if you all are up for a night on the town.

"I think we are" Stacie winked at the man who immediately blushed.

"Great. I'll just let Amy know that we are on our way and of your request and she will take care of the rest." Jesse said as he turned back towards the front of the car.

"A club? Really Stace?" Chloe said quietly. "Shouldn't we just stay in for the night? We can go out tomorrow."

"Come on Chlo" Stacie whined as she sipped her champagne. "We are on vacation. Let's blow off some steam. We can stay in another night or when we get back to LA. Let's have fuuuuunnnnnn."

Chloe sat back and sipped her champagne. She didn't feel like arguing with Stacie or with her other friends who seemed to be on the same page as the fashion model.

Jesse typed out the text to Amy with the charters request. 20 or so seconds after pressing send he got confirmation from Amy that she would set everything up. "Okay. Here we go ladies. It's about a 20 minute drive from here." He said as he pulled the car off of the landing strip and towards the road that would lead them to their private paradise.

Chloe watched as the sights changed from city landscape to those of the white sand beach rushing by her window as they drove farther and farther away from the city when she felt a gentle bump to her shoulder.

"You okay" Jessica asked softly leaning into her best friend and housemate.

Chloe nodded quickly and Jessica smiled in response. She knew her friend wasn't totally herself. Not with all of the rumors swirling back in Hollywood. Not with the pictures that had recently surfaced. Not with the heartbreak she'd endured. She rested her head softly on Chloe's shoulder hoping to offer the woman some comfort as they continued their drive.

Jessica picked her head up as the car began to slow. She looked around the other ladies in the car to see a large gate beginning to open up. "Wow" She said quietly as she took in the view. Aubrey, Stacie and CR were too busy planning their night to hear her but Chloe followed her line of sight. Her eyes widened at the sight of the large white home that sat towards the end of the road on a slight hill.

"That's not even the best part" Jesse said smiling as he pulled the large SUV through the gate. He smiled in the rear view mirror at the women who were all now looking out of the windows.

It was beautiful, she couldn't deny that. There wasn't another home around as far as the eye could see. "This is all ours?" Chloe asked noticing that no other people were on the beach that sat right off of the house.

"Yes ma'am. It's completely private." Jesse smiled. He was used to this reaction. "The home sits on just over 2000 acres, which is mostly shoreline. It's completely gated and private. Your group and our staff will be the only people with access to the beach for about 3 miles in either direction." Jesse explained as he pulled the car into a circle drive.

"How many staff?" Aubrey asked as she looked around the property.

"3 full time staff will be staying on the grounds during the entirety of your stay." Jesse answered with a smile.

"In the house with us?" Aubrey asked.

"No ma'am." Jesse answered as he turned the car off. He turned around and pointed out of the back side passenger window towards a smaller home about a 100 yards off the house. "Myself, our executive chef and your host will be staying in the guest quarters."

All the heads followed his hand in the direction he was pointing towards a much smaller house sitting off to the side. "The rest of the staff will be in and out throughout the day but the three of us will be available to you 24 hours."

The ladies nodded in understanding as he got out of the door and circled around to open the back door and once again offer his hand for them to step down.

Once out of the car they were led into the open air entrance of the home. "Welcome ladies" A large blonde with an Australian accent greeted them. "My name is Fat Amy and I am the Director of Operations for Lux Cabo. I can assure you that my staff and I will make this the best vacation you can imagine. If you need anything at any time during your stay your host, Benji" Amy said as a man in a suit and bow tie stepped forward, "will provide and arrange."

Benji nodded in agreement before Amy continued.

"We have arranged for a private dining experience tonight at La Casona, one of the very best restaurants in Cabo, and then an evening at Uno Mas which is the hottest club just off the beach. You will have VIP access and security with you this evening to ensure you have your privacy." Amy smiled.

"Um" Jessica said raising her hand slowly.

"Yes?" Amy asked confused as to why this woman was timidly raising her hand.

"You call yourself Fat Amy?" She asked nervously.

"Yea" Amy answered quickly and then moved on.

Jessica shared questioning looks with her friends as the woman continued. "There will be fireworks at midnight tonight on Medano Beach which happens to be easily accessible from Uno Mas." Amy explained. "Now come on" She said with a smile, "let's get a photo of you beautiful ladies."

The mention of a photo roused the group again and several phones were pulled out and handed to her and Benji. The ladies grouped together with their arms wrapped around each other with bright smiles on their faces. "Okay" Amy said cheerfully. "Everybody say Cabo Bitches!"

The group happily repeated the words as their first photos were snapped.

After handed back their devices, Amy passed out her card to each woman with her number on it insisting they contact her if they needed anything at any time.

"Okay ladies" Benji said with a bright smile gaining their attention after Amy was gone. "Once again my name is Benji and I will be your host for your stay." He explained happily. "If I'm not in the house and you need anything, absolutely anything, please pick up the house phone and dial 0. It will ring my cell phone which I always have on me."

The ladies nodded in understanding.

Benji saw Jesse climb back into the SUV and pull away from the entrance of the house. "We have taken the liberty of bringing your luggage into the house and if you would like, I can give you a tour of the property and allow you some time to pick a bedroom and freshen up before your evening." He said warmly.

"Great" Aubrey said for the group.

"Welcome to Villa Sahara." Benji said as he pushed open the large double Spanish doors. "The home itself is 7 bedrooms and 8 baths. There are 4 bedrooms on the first level of the house along with the kitchen and living areas. As you can see the home is an open floor plan. There are large glass window that we can close when the weather is unfavorable." Benji said as the guests took in the home. The rooms all had open air views of the infinitely pool.

"It's breathtaking" Chloe said as she looked over at the pool, unable to tell where the pool ended and the ocean began.

"The remaining bedrooms are located on the second level as well as shaded outdoor space which is ideal for sunbathing or just relaxing. The entirety of the home is spread across 8000 square feet and originally built in 1942 but was only 2 small bedrooms at that time. When the home was purchased in its original form 3 years ago, it was a rundown version of the original structure" He pointed to a small gathering of black and white photos on the wall.

"That was this house?" Chloe asked admiring the photos.

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled. He loved explaining the history of the house to the guests, "The first was a photo taken in 1942 and then this was how the home was purchased 3 years ago. We wanted to remain true to the old world charm of the original home with the high ceilings and open beams. Mexican and Spanish art and antiques are located through the home, as well as hand painted tiles and custom woodwork." He explained as led the women through the house.

"It's beautiful" Chloe said as she tried to take in all of the art.

"Who is we?" Jessica asked.

"Ma'am?" Benji asked.

"You said we a moment ago." She answered. "Who did you mean by we?"

"Oh" Benji smiled. "I meant Lux Cabo." He answered quickly. "Would you like to pick out your bedrooms and get settled?" He asked.

A round of yes's could be heard amongst the ladies.

"Very good." He smiled and brought them to the first bedroom on the first floor. "There are 4 bedrooms on this floor and 3 on the second but I can assure you that each bedroom contains the same amenities. The only difference is some of the décor and the views." He said as he showed them a large room with a king size bed on one wall. Each bedroom had a large ensuite restroom with separate tub and shower. Each was open air with an amazing view of the ocean. "The open wall in the room can be closed by pushing this button" Benji said as he pulled away a large white draping curtain that hung from floor to ceiling.

"So. Chloe" Aubrey said turning to her friend. "Do you want to be up or down stairs?"

"Up I think." Chloe answered knowing that while the view was amazing from this room it was probably even more breathtaking on the second level.

"If I may?" Benji said quickly.

Chloe nodded, "If this home has a Master it's on the second floor and it's absurd how beautiful the room is. If you would allow, I can escort you and your luggage to the room."

Chloe looked at her friends to make sure they were okay with her having the Master and received smiles in return. "Thank you Benji" She said with a warm smile.

He turned back to the group, "Ladies. If you will excuse me momentarily." He then turned to Chloe, "This way ma'am."

"Please call me Chloe." The redhead smiled.

"Okay. Chloe." Benji smiled as he led the actress towards the front of the house where their luggage was placed.

20 minutes later and Chloe found herself standing at the balcony railing just off her bedroom looking over the ocean thinking about the conversation she had that morning. Another argument with Luke. Another fight. He didn't want her going away with her friends. He wanted her to stay in LA with him so they could work it out.

 ** _Earlier than day …_**

 _"_ _I swear Chloe. It's not what you think." Luke said as he watched his girlfriend pack her suitcase._

 _"I think it's exactly what it looks like Luke. And it's not the first time. It's just the first time your denying it." Chloe thundered back._

 _"_ _It's not" he argued as he sat on the end of her bed._

 _"_ _You're holding her hand Luke" Chloe said as she picked up the gossip magazine and threw it at him._

 _He caught the magazine and glanced at the photo again before placing it on the bed next to him. "I was just visiting her on set. It was her birthday." He tried to explain calmly._

 _"_ _You told me you had a show in San Francisco that day." Chloe said quickly. "What were you doing in LA?"_

 _"_ _I came back to surprise you. You know that." He answered. "I saw you right after that."_

 _"_ _Why didn't you tell me you were seeing her?" Chloe asked taking a deep breath._

 _"_ _Because I knew you would react like this." He said as he stood, taking the opportunity to get close to the redhead as she visibly calmed. "You know I love you. She doesn't mean anything to me." He said as he wrapped his arms around her waist._

 _"_ _I'm so tired of this Luke." Chloe breathed._

 _"_ _Me too." He agreed as he tightened his hold._

 _She pushed his arms down and went into the bathroom to pack her toiletries. "What are you doing?" He asked following her to the door._

 _"_ _Packing" She said quickly._

 _"_ _No. You can't leave. I told the guys that I needed a few days to spend with you. We stopped the tour for this Chloe. You have to stay with me so we can work this out." He said quickly._

 _"_ _No, I don't Luke. I'm going." She argued. "I'm tired of you doing whatever you want whenever you want and me always bending to your will. I'm tired of looking like a fool in the press. I'm tired of walking into places and having people whisper behind my back because my boyfriend's been photographed with another woman. Yet again. And I'm tired of defending your relationship and explaining why you cheated on me in the first place." She slammed her bag down on the counter._

 _"_ _Chloe" He whispered softly._

 _"_ _No. Stop. It's me right. It's always me and my overactive actress imagination. That's what you're going to say?" She turned toward him angrily._

 _He shrugged his response._

 _"_ _Save it Luke." She said pushing past him._

 _"_ _So are you breaking up with me?" He asked._

 _"_ _I don't know" Chloe whispered as she pulled her suitcase closed and zipped it up._

 _"_ _You're going to throw away five years Chloe?" He said quickly. "Five years and then it's over because I was photographed by the damn paps. This it totally out of context. It's not what it looks like babe." He pleaded._

 _"_ _Then what is it?" Chloe asked loudly._

 _"_ _She was stepping down from a step and I offered her my hand. That's all it was." He said quickly. "I swear. I love you Chloe. I want to marry you one day. Please don't throw away five years over a stupid photo."_

 _"_ _I don't know Luke." She whispered._

 _"_ _Please stay with me. Please. Let's work this out." He begged._

 _"_ _I can't. I need to get away for a few days." Chloe breathed._

 _"_ _Get away?" He asked. "From me?"_

 _She didn't answer._

 _"_ _Because I'm so horrible to be around? Because I treat you so badly? I have three fucking days off of the tour. Three fucking days that is costing me and my bandmates money to be here with you and you need to get away? Un-fucking-believable." He yelled. "You're so fucking dramatic."_

 _"_ _Chlo. You ready?" Stacie said as she interrupted the argument._

"Chlo. You ready?" Stacie's voice sounded behind her.

Chloe turned from the ocean and wiped a tear from her eye. "Ready for what?" She asked.

"To go to dinner and then dancing." Stacie said cheerfully.

"Yeah, just let me change." Chloe replied quickly as she headed back into her room.

"Okay, meet you downstairs in 20 minutes?" Stacie asked.

"Sounds great." She said in her best cheerful voice. She walked past the bed and dropped her cell phone onto the bed with the last text message Luke left her still open.

 _Luke: Ur so selfish._

 **XxXxXx**

Beca took a deep breath, looking through the contacts in her phone, she knew Amy was going to be pissed. She sat the device on the table next to her and pressed the speaker button waiting for Amy to answer.

"What up Shorty?" Amy answered cheerfully.

"I can't be at the house tonight." Beca said plainly. She was a rip the bandaid off type of girl. She didn't see any reason to beat around the bush about things. "I'm working at Mas."

"Well your off the hook because they are going out tonight." Amy replied. "You can thank Jesse for suggesting they dine out."

"You knew I had this gig Amy. If they wanted to eat in, Bumper would have been just fine." Beca argued. "You're making this such a big deal that I don't even want to be part of this charter. I don't even know what the big fucking deal is."

"It's a big deal because they have a lot of influence Beca." Amy replied quickly. "You would know that if you would have read the file."

"Yeah, I don't even know what that means, a lot of influence. Who cares Amy? We are doing just fine without the approval of these spoiled rich kids." Beca fired off quickly. "Look I have to go."

"Be there for breakfast service tomorrow morning Beca. 7am sharp." Amy said authoritatively.

Beca didn't reply.

"Sharp Beca." Amy said again.

"Fine." Beca relented before quickly hanging up her phone and returning to her laptop to finalize the mixes she would play tonight.

 **XxXxXx**

"How was dinner ladies?" Jesse asked as the group made their way out of the restaurant.

"Wonderful." Aubrey beamed.

"Yes, thank you for arranging it. It was perfect." Chloe said with a smile. She'd had a great time at dinner with her friends. Finally forgetting her problems at home for the last few hours.

"It was our pleasure." Jesse said quickly. "Let me take you across the street to Uno Mas." He said opening the car door for the group. "Our head of security Lily has arranged for a VIP section to be roped off for you to enjoy your evening. There will be fireworks down on the beach around midnight and we will have several guards escorting you ladies. I will meet you right here when your night is finished and if you would like to go home earlier in the evening please just text me." He said as he passed out cards with his number on them.

"You're not coming in?" Stacie asked as he pulled up to the door of the dance club.

"No ma'am. I just drive." He said with a friendly smile.

"Thank you Jesse" Aubrey said quickly as she pushed Stacie towards the door without waiting for Jesse to get out and open it for them.

As promised there were a couple of large men dressed in suits and a woman who introduced herself as Lily waiting for them at the door before escorting them to the VIP section. At least that's what Chloe thought she said her name was. The music was extremely loud and it was hard to hear the woman who seemed to disappear shortly after the introduction.

The club was extremely busy with bodies dancing and jumping everywhere. The music was a mix of top forty mixed and layered with hip hop favorites. It was easy for Chloe to lose herself in the music and dance with her friends. She ducked away from their snapchats and pictures as much as she could but would be occasionally pulled in by one of them. She tried to get a look up at the DJ booth a couple of times during the evening but only managed to catch a glance here and there. Whoever they were quickly became one of Chloe's favorite DJs in the span of just a few hours. At some point during the night, as she was jumping and singing in their roped off area with her best friends, Chloe forgot. She forgot about Luke. She forgot about the papers, the pictures and the rumors. She let it all go. It was just her and these four other girls in paradise. She felt free.

Just before midnight Chloe found herself with her hand in Aubrey's being pulled down to the beach.

"I don't wanna miss it" Aubrey slurred as they ran across the sand with their heels in their hands.

"Bree. Slow down." Chloe begged. They came to a stop as soon as red and gold exploded over their heads. The embers raining down over the water. Cheering could be heard coming from the people who were littered along the beach looking up into the sky, mesmerized by the colors dancing along the cloudless night sky.

"Funny how fireworks can make you just stop and stare." A voice said from beside her.

Chloe looked to her right to see the stranger looking up at the sky.

"I mean, it doesn't matter if your 7 or 70. They are just kind of mesmerizing." The brunette with the backwards cap said.

Chloe recognized her. Are at least the cap. "You're the DJ." She said quickly.

"Yeah" Beca smiled looking away from the firework show and over to the redhead whom she had seen dancing earlier in the night. She had caught Beca's eye with the way she moved and seeing her on the beach looking up at the fireworks was the perfect opportunity to speak to the woman. Her breath hitched just as their eyes finally met. "They're so beautiful."

"The fireworks?" Chloe asked looking back up.

"You're eyes" Beca answered softly surprising herself at how smooth she sounded.

Chloe found herself blushing almost immediately and looked back down towards the woman who stood next to her. Brown hair caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and at the sound of Aubrey yelling Chloe's head turned away from the DJ. She turned just in time to see Stacie pulling her blouse over her head and take off running down the beach.

"CHLOE!" Aubrey yelled. "Help me!"

"I'm sorry, I have to go." Chloe said feeling pulled towards the DJ who watched the scene on the beach in amusement.

"Yeah, no. Of course." Beca smiled.

It was a sweet smile. Chloe liked it.

"You should handle that" Beca waived in her friends direction as Aubrey tried to tackle Stacie to the sand.

"Yeah. Sorry." Chloe apologized.

"Chloe for serious! Get over here!" Aubrey yelled again.

"No worries." Beca smiled again. She slid her hands in her pockets and turned away from the beautiful redhead on the beach. She headed back to the club to pack up her equipment.

* * *

 **AN: So if you've read my previous stories you know I'm a regular Thursday and Sunday poster, with some random posts in between if I have it ready to get out. As always, thanks for the response to the first chapter. Hope you guys like this one. Let me know ...**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: HERE WE GO

 **Day One**

Early the next morning Beca slid her key into the door and entered the estate as silently as she could. Not that she would ever say anything to Amy but she was greatful that she was staying in the guest quarters when her alarm went off 20 minutes ago. She slipped on her black pants and tank top, grabbed her white chef jacket and walked out of the door quickly. She'd only gotten about 3 hours of sleep after leaving the club and stopping at her apartment to pack some clothes for the next 7 days. And now she was tip toeing through the mansion she'd bought with her inheritance money 4 years ago. The mansion that her and her best friend remodeled for their business. Their biggest money maker and the home she'd never spent a night in herself.

"Hey" Flo popped up from around the corner startling her.

"Jesus Flo" Beca said with her hand over her heart. "What are you doing here?" Beca asked breathless.

"Sunrise yoga. Which no one showed up for." Flo said angrily. "I re-arranged all the other bookings to be here for this and they didn't even come. Or cancel with Benji."

"Sorry Flo." Beca said with a frown. She hadn't met the group but she didn't like them already. "I doubt they will be up anytime soon. Benji said they were partying over here pretty late last night. He had to stay behind and pick up the mess at the pool after they finally went to bed."

"It's okay. Back home I used to have to herd goats at sunrise. So this is better." She shrugged as she made her way past Beca and out of the home. "See you later." Flo said over her shoulder.

"Yeah, later." Beca said as her friend exited the house.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe wasn't sure what woke her up. Maybe it was the cool breeze coming off the ocean or the rumbling of the waves early in the morning. The seagulls cawing in the distance or the smell of coffee that had somehow wafted up to her room. But either way she found herself with her eyes open laying in her bed watching the new morning sunrays dance across the ocean. She was content to do so, until her stomach growled. She slowly rolled over to her back and looked up at the intricate woodwork of her ceiling. She didn't notice it last night when she went to bed shortly after they had been safely returned home by Jesse. Most of the other girls stayed up but she and Jessica had dismissed themselves quickly to go to bed. She could hear them below her for a while until she finally fell asleep, exhausted by the argument she'd had with Luke and the traveling they'd done. She pushed herself up and let her feet dangle over the side of the bed as she reached for her phone, lifting it to bring it to life and show the time. 7:41am. She decided to ignore the 9 missed calls from Luke until after she'd gotten coffee in her system. Once her feet were firmly on the ground Chloe pulled a zip up hoodie from her bag and slid her arms through the sleeves to cover up her blue pajama camisole. Her feet carried her down the steps and towards the kitchen. She slowed when she heard the soft mumbling of singing coming from her destination.

 _'_ _you just ain't right_

 _Comes a time when you know you must let go_

 _I know, I know_

 _We fixed it, but it's broken'_

 _B_ eca sang softly as she moved through the kitchen chopping up the various fresh vegetables that Flo had stocked in the house the day before. She'd plan on using them for breakfast or lunch so as she moved through she kept a list of things for Flo to have resupplied. It was a quite morning in the house with the guests still sleeping well past the 7am breakfast time. She planned on keeping it that way so she tried to keep her voice as soft and low as possible as she began to prep for the day.

 _'_ _Got a feelin' we gon' get this wrong_

 _And even I can't be this strong_

 _It's the breath that you take right before you die'_

"Hi" Chloe said her voice chipper but still laced with sleep.

Beca's head snapped up quickly as she placed the knife on the chopping board in front of her. She reached in front of her coat and pulled the towel out of the apron wrapped around her waist. "Shit" She mumbled seeing the bright blue eyes from the night before standing in front of her.

Chloe smiled. She'd recognized the DJ as soon as she saw her standing in the kitchen so she'd had a minute to let get used to the idea of seeing her again. Last night she didn't think she would and she'd be lying if she said the mysterious woman didn't cross her mind a couple of times before she finally fell asleep.

"I didn't mean it like that" Beca said quickly trying to recover. "Good morning." She said quickly. "What I meant was good morning. Which sounds nothing like shit actually." Beca rambled nervously.

"It's okay." Chloe said as she moved forward and slid into the bar stool that sat on the opposite side of the large kitchen island that Beca was working at. "B Mitchell" Chloe said reading the monogram lettering on Beca's chef jacket.

"Beca." The chef answered.

"Beca." Chloe repeated. "I'm Chloe" she said with a smile. "The coffee smells amazing."

"Shit" Beca winced as the word slipped from her lips for a second time in thirty seconds. "I'm sorry, would you like some coffee?." She apologized quickly. "And I'm sorry that I keep cursing."

"I have actually heard the word shit before. I may have even said it a time or two " Chloe teased as she watched Beca grab a mug from a nearby cabinet. "What can I make for you? Cappuccino? Latte?" Beca asked as she wiped out the mug quickly just for good measure. "We have all the flavors, vanilla, caramel, mocha. We have soy or alm"

"Just coffee" Chloe interrupted. She wasn't sure how long Beca would go on listing things and while she liked those type of drinks from time to time she really just liked to have regular coffee in the mornings. Nothing fancy.

Beca smirked. "Sugar? Cream? Or half and half?" Beca asked quickly.

"There sure are a lot of things in this kitchen." Chloe teased. "I don't have half of that stuff in my house."

"We have whatever you want." Beca smiled. "And if by chance we don't, I'll get it."

"Whatever I want?" Chloe asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

Beca slowly walked around the kitchen island towards the redhead who sat in the barstool. She suddenly felt the confidence she had last night as she regained her composure. She took the opportunity to take stock of Chloe. Her bare feet and perfectly painted toes. Her tone legs crossed to the side of the barstool. The short shorts she'd been sleeping in. Bright blue eyes. Gentle smile and bed tossed hair.

"Anything." Beca said as she sat the mug down gently in front of Chloe.

Chloe looked from the mug up to Beca's dark blue eyes as her voice filled her ears.

"Anything you want." Beca seemed to whisper.

"Oh my God please give me coffee." Stacie groaned as she entered the kitchen heavy footed. Unlike Chloe, she didn't bother putting anything over her thin pajamas before leaving her room. Her arms landed heavy on the island next to Chloe and her head immediately landed on her arms. "My fucking head hurts so bad." Stacie mumbled into her arms.

With their moment effectively broken Chloe spoke, "Two creams, no sugar."

Beca smiled and made her way away from the guests and back around the island. She pulled open a drawer and retrieved two plain liquid cream pods but before she could hand them to the redhead she heard, "Do you have vanilla?" Chloe asked softly. "If you don't its fine."

"Of course." Beca smiled as she put the originals back and found the two that Chloe requested. She sat them down along with a spoon in front of the redhead before turning back towards the cabinet to grab another mug. "What can I make for you?" She asked the brunette who still had her head laying on the counter top.

Stacie's head popped up, her eyes squinted almost shut, and her mouth dry.

"Anything" Chloe said to Stacie but looking up at Beca who stood opposite her.

The brunette chef smirked as she waited.

"Really?" Stacie grumbled.

Beca nodded.

"Can you make a sugar free hazelnut macchiato with an extra shot?" Stacie rattled off.

"Yes ma'am" Beca said with a smile before turning from the guests towards the expresso machine.

She worked quickly to make the coffee Stacie specifically asked for and tried not to listen to their conversation behind her.

"Maybe you should go put on some more clothes Stace" Chloe suggested softly. "Or a robe at least."

"Why?" Stacie asked loudly. "I don't fucking care. I'm sure she doesn't care." Stacie said motioning towards Beca's back.

"Good morning ladies." Benji greeted cheerfully as he made his way into the house. "How are we doing this morning?"

How he did it Beca didn't know. When he finally got back to the guest house last night he was exhausted. She'd made him his favorite grilled cheese sandwich right before she went to bed and that was only a few hours ago. She knows he got less sleep than her but yet here he was. Dressed perfectly looking like he'd slept for 12 hours.

"Good morning" Chloe said cheerfully to the man. "Beca was just making Stacie's coffee while she heads to her room to get dressed." Chloe said making eyes at Stacie.

"Perfect." Benji smiled. "I'll be happy to bring it to your room if you would like." He said to Stacie who moaned and rolled her eyes at her redheaded best friend. She pushed herself from the island and stomped back in the direction of her room.

"Anyone else awake?" Benji asked.

"No. They were up fairly late last night. I'm shocked Stacie is up this early." Chloe said bringing her coffee mug to her lips.

"What about you? You don't need sleep?" Beca asked as she sat the drink down on the counter in front of the platter Benji had retrieved from somewhere. Beca dusted the top lightly with some hazelnut powder before nodding to Benji that it was complete.

"Oh no. I went to bed right after we got back." Chloe smiled. "I need many many hours of beauty sleep."

Beca smiled. She liked this girl. She didn't seem like all the spoiled rich college kids who came through here living off of mommy and daddy's money. "Looks like you've had enough beauty sleep to last a lifetime." Beca said with a smirk. She turned quickly and returned to the chopping board to continue what she was doing before she was interrupted the first time.

Chloe could feel the blush on her cheeks immediately as she watched Beca chop the vegetables in front of her.

"So DJ by night and barista by day?" Chloe asked sipping her coffee as she watch Beca move through the kitchen.

Beca shrugged as she pulled out some eggs from the refrigerator. "Chef by trade. DJ by passion." Beca replied. "What can I make you for breakfast?"

"What's your specialty?" Chloe asked.

"Pancakes of course." Beca smiled.

"I love pancakes."

"So a regular coffee and pancakes type of girl?" Beca questioned as she began measuring out flour into a medium sized mixing bowl.

This time it was Chloe who shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a simple girl. Easy to please."

"Huh" Beca laughed.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing." Beca replied quickly. "So where do you go to school?" Beca asked as she whisked the ingredients quickly.

"School?" Chloe asked quirking her head to the side.

"Yeah. School. Like college?" Beca replied.

"You think I'm in school?" Chloe asked with an amused look on her face.

"I mean, yeah. Are you not?" Beca asked confused.

"No. I didn't go to college." Chloe smiled.

"Oh" Beca replied quickly. "That's cool. I only went for a year before I went to culinary school. But I get it, schools not for everybody."

"No, it's not" Chloe agreed. She watched the chef closely to see if she was pretending or if she really didn't know who she was.

"Do you work?" Beca asked as she bent down and turned on the griddle.

"Yes." Chloe answered slowly.

Beca looked up at her curiously. "Is it a secret?" She teased leaning across the island and raising an eyebrow.

"What do you think I do?" Chloe asked still trying to figure out if Beca was playing her or not.

"Look that way" Beca said as she pointed behind Chloe.

"What? Why?" Chloe asked.

"Because I don't want you to see my secret ingredient. If you know what it is you won't need me anymore." Beca smiled.

Chloe rolled her eyes and turned around to face away from the chef. "So I need you now?"

"After you taste these, you're going to crave them. And I'll be the only one who can satisfy that craving so, yeah, you'll need me." Beca flirted shamelessly with the back of Chloe's head. "But if I had to guess, I'd say an elementary school teacher or a nanny or something." Beca said as she reached into the spice cabinet's looking for the nutmeg, cloves and her secret ingredient.

"Nope" Chloe smiled as she answered.

"Hmmm. Okay" Beca said thinking, "you have this sweet look about you. Like you only live to help people. So if you're not a teacher, I'm going to guess social worker."

"No." Chloe replied quickly.

"Give me a hint." Beca requested. "You can turn back around."

Chloe swiveled back around and rested her elbow on the counter in front of her and put her chin in her hand as she watched Beca pour some batter onto the hot griddle. "You don't know who I am?" Chloe asked seriously.

Beca looked up at her, "Should I?" She asked.

"No. Not necessarily." Chloe answered with a shy smile.

"Good morning" Aubrey moaned as she entered the kitchen. Directly behind her was CR and Jessica.

Once again being interrupted, Beca greeted the three women and asked, "Can I get you some coffee and something for breakfast?"

Aubrey took the stool next to Chloe and moaned in response while laying her head on her best friend's shoulder. Jessica and CR both asked for coffee.

"So what are we doing today?" Stacie asked as she re-joined the group after changing from her pajama's and into a blue bikini and sheer cover up.

"Honestly" Aubrey answered as a plate stacked with pancakes was sat in front of Chloe with a small pitcher of maple syrup. Moments later mugs with hot coffee were placed in front of CJ and Jessica. Chloe wasn't sure how Beca managed to get all those things done in such a short period of time. "I feel like I want to eat all these pancakes and then waddle over to the pool and fall asleep on one of those lounge chairs." Aubrey said as she picked up Chloe's fork and cut into the fluffy pancakes.

"Hey" Chloe whined as Aubrey shoved a forkful of her breakfast in her mouth.

"Oh." Aubrey moaned. "That's so good." She said as she pulled Chloe's plate in front of her and poured syrup over the stack.

"Here you go." Beca whispered as she sat another plate just in front of Chloe who turned back to see that Beca had replaced her stolen breakfast.

"Thanks." She smiled.

Beca winked before turning back towards stove.

 **XxXxXx**

"You've been staring at the same place in that book for the last hour Chloe." Jessica said as she pushed her sunglasses from her face to rest on the top of her head. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah" Chloe said pulling her eyes from the book and over to her friend. "Just thinking."

"About?" Jessica asked.

Chloe sighed heavily. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Beca and another woman pulling groceries from several bags and laying them out of the kitchen counter space. "Everything with Luke." Chloe admitted.

"Want to talk about it?" Jessica asked.

"Not really" Chloe answered honestly as she turned her full attention towards the kitchen.

Jessica watched her friend watch the women in the kitchen. "She's cute."

"Hum?" Chloe replied quickly.

"Beca. She's cute." Jessica repeated.

Chloe turned back to her book to afraid that a verbal response would give away her unexpected crush.

"Hey." Jesse said entering the kitchen with Flo and Beca. "Need some help?"

"That'd be great. I need to go check off all the rooms to make sure they were cleaned properly." Flo said handing her grocery bag over to Jesse.

"Thanks Flo!" Beca called out as her friend left the kitchen quickly and made a bee-line for the stairs.

"How's it going?" Jesse asked. "How was lunch service?"

"Fine." Beca answered quickly. "No lunch. They just kind of snacked this afternoon. But I have a big dinner planned." Beca smiled. "Grilled tilapia with chipotle avocado crema and calabacitas" Beca said putting on her thickest Spanish accent. She glanced back outside to Chloe who she happened to have a clear view of in her lounge chair next to the swimming pool. Her pervious unfinished conversation with the beautiful redhead popped back into her mind.

"What do I have to do to get you to save me a plate?" He asked.

"Hey. Do you know who those girls are?" Beca asked.

"Yeah Becs. Like everybody knows them." Jesse answered as he rolled his eyes.

"No. Not everybody." Beca said quickly.

Jesse lowered his voice to a whisper "So, the tall scary looking blonde is Aubrey. She's Stacie and Chloe's lawyer." Jesse began, "I didn't know who she was until I read through the charter packet that Amy gave us that you refused to open." He teased. "The other blonde with wavy hair is Jessica. She's Chloe's stylist. Cynthia Rose who likes to be called CR is the one with the dreads. She's Chloe and Stacie's publicist. The superhot brunette is Stacie Conrad. She's a model and like number 1 of Maxim's hot 100 list." Jesse swooned.

Beca looked out to see said woman shamelessly laying topless on her chaise lounge chair but her attention was focused on the redhead. "And Chloe?"

"Only one of the most famous actress's on the planet Becs." Jesse rolled his eyes. "This is why you should watch movies. So that when one of the most beautiful women in the world waltzes into your million dollar estate, you know who she is instead of assuming she's a spoiled rich kid."

"She's an actress?" Beca repeated.

"Yep. And a good one." Jesse said looking over at the redhead. "It's a good story actually."

Beca listened to her friend carefully as he continued. "Last year she was nominated for an Academy Award so there was this big article on her in People magazine. Grew up in a small Georgia town. Parents divorced when her and her brother were young. Started acting on a soap opera, moved to LA and worked her way up from there." Jesse summarized what he remembered from the article. "Not the spoiled rich kid you thought she was." He looked back over to his friend who wouldn't or couldn't, he wasn't able to decipher, take her eyes off the redheaded actress. "Not everyone with money got it from their mommy and daddy." He said knowing it wasn't a fair comment to make. Beca wasn't spoiled or entitled. She didn't even really want her parents money and even when she got it she used it in a way that only benefitted the people closest to her including him, but he needed to remind his best friend that not everyone was in her situation. "Not everyone is like you."

* * *

 **AN: Sup guys. What do you think so far? Are you liking it? Do you think is sucks? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks as always for reading.**

 **SONG CRED: P!nk: Where We Go**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Soooo, A couple of things. 1) You guys are truly awesome. I got a lot of love today for this story so far and I truly appreciate each and every comment. 2) It was a nasty rainy day here so I got time to sit and write ... like allll day. Which means, I'm a head of schedule. Those two things combined resulted in **drumroll** Double post Sunday! **Insert screams and applause** Just kidding... but really, thanks for the notes and here's chapter 4.**

* * *

CHAPTER 4: BUT I HAD A GREAT NIGHT 'CAUSE YOU KEPT RUBBING AGAINST MY ARM

 **Night Two**

"Knock, knock" CR said as she entered Chloe's room. "Dinner will be ready in like 5 woah" CR stopped in her tracks.

"Is it too much" Chloe turned and asked. "It is. I'll change." She said quickly without giving CR a chance to answer.

"No Chlo wait." CR smiled. Chloe was nervous, she could see it written all over the redhead's face and she thought she knew why. Rumors of Chloe's crush on the chef passed quickly between the girls throughout the afternoon. Chloe denied it every chance she got but seeing her standing in her large room in front of a tall mirror in a sleeveless white mini dress with a croqueted neck line that stopped mid-thigh, she knew for sure that Chloe was crushing on the small brunette. "You look beautiful" CR smiled. The sun Chloe had gotten today only enhanced the white dress that blew slightly in the breeze that circulated through the room.

"Then what? Why are you looking at me like that?" Chloe asked nervously as she looked back at herself in the mirror.

"It's just that the rest of us are still in our swim suits or jeans. I think Stacie said she was going to put on her eating pants, but you should stay in that. You look great." CR said with a smile. "I just came to tell you dinner would be ready in a few minutes."

"Are you sure I shouldn't change?" Chloe asked nervously.

"I'm positive." CR replied as she started backing out of the room. "I'll see you in a few minutes okay?"

"Yeah." Chloe said with a slight smile. "Okay."

Once out of the room CR ran quickly down the steps and pulled Stacie and Jessica with her along the way.

"What the fuck?" Stacie asked trying to pull her arm away.

"Where's Bree?" CR asked breathless.

"In her room." Jessica supplied.

"We need to change." CR said quietly.

"Why?" Stacie asked.

"Chloe is dressed up and she'll feel even more nervous than she already is if we are dressed like this." CR explained.

"Dressed up? Why?" Stacie asked quickly but suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks, "oh!" her eyebrows shot upward. "I knew it" She shouted in a whisper. "She's totally crushing on that grumpy little chef."

"Wait … what about Luke?" Jessica asked in a hushed tone. She cringed just saying the man's name. She'd been in the house numerous times and heard the shouting matches between him and her best friend. She'd heard the names he called Chloe. "He'll flip if he finds out."

"What Luke doesn't know won't hurt him." Stacie said quickly. "She deserves this. She needs to get her groove back and if flirting with that girl brings Chloe back and gets her head out of her ass so she finally drops that ass hat like she should have years ago, then fine." Stacie huffed. "I'll tell Bree. You guys gets changed and back here ASAP."

Chloe parted her hair to the side and swept it up in a loose bun. She pulled some hair out on the side, tucking a few strands behind her ear before taking a deep breath and deciding she was ready.

"I'm plating in 3 minutes Flo" Beca called from the kitchen.

"Okay ladies." Flo clapped. The other two girls she had from her staff followed her quickly to the kitchen. "The table is perfect. Ohhhh" Flo moaned as Beca whipped the edge of a plate with a towel. "This looks so good."

"Thanks" Beca smiled. "I'll pack some up for you guys." She winked.

"You're literally the best person in the world." Flo said with a smile as she carefully picked up two plates to bring to the dining room.

"I've got the wine" Benji said as he moved quickly around the servers to grab a cork screw.

Chloe sat at the table wondering where everyone was. Her thoughts were interrupted and she sat up a little straighter when Stacie, Aubrey, Jessica and CR all filed in one after the other. Each dressed nicely. Stacie in a green jumper pant suit that somehow made her legs look longer than they already were. Aubrey in a short spaghetti strap black dress. Jessica in a blue floral print dress that accented her eyes with a white sweater draped over her shoulders and CR in sheer black top and black leather jacket over black skinny jeans. "Wow ladies" Chloe greeted.

CR winked at her as she sat next to the redhead at the table.

"Just in time ladies" Benji said as he popped the cork on the wine bottle. "You all look lovely" He smiled as he made his way around the table filling their glasses.

"Dinner is served" Flo said as she entered the room with plates in her hand followed closely by her two employees. "First our chef has prepared for you calabacitas en crema mini sopas." Flo said as she placed a small plate in front of two of the women as the other guests were served at the same time. "Calabacitas is a zucchini squash, poblano chilies and sweet corn in a cream sauce. Our chef as served them to you on mini sopas. Enjoy" Flo said with a smile as she and the other servers backed out of the room with Benji.

"That is so good." Stacie was the first one to speak after placing the sopa in her mouth. Her eyes rolled back as she tasted all the flavors.

"Appetizer served." Benji informed as Beca continued working on the main dish for the night. "And I only hear good noises coming from the dining room."

"Thanks Benji" Beca said with a smile as she worked.

"So ladies" Aubrey said with a smile as she raised her wine glass. "A toast to the best group of friends any girl could ask for." She raised her glass slightly and reached into the middle of the table. The sounds of glasses clinking together were heard as the girls smiled at each other.

"Too many more drinks to come" CR added. "Tonight."

The other girls giggled and sipped their wine as they dove right into talking about everything that came to mind. Chloe's upcoming appearance schedule. What Jessica knew were going to be the upcoming fashion trends and what she thought would suit the others at the table. Their upcoming plans for the next several days and shopping they wanted to do while in Cabo.

"Ready for the next course ladies?" Benji asked as he cleared his throat to break up their conversations.

As Flo and the other's entered the room he read from the card that Beca had written for him. "Tonight's entrée is blackened grilled tilapia served over a bead of quinoa topped with a creamy chipotle avocado crema."

"This looks amazing" Chloe said as she eyed the perfect plate in front of her. She'd been to a lot of fancy restaurants around the world and this presentation was just as good as any she'd ever been in. If it tasted as good as it looked she would have many questions for Beca. Like why was she in Cabo and not in a fancy 5 star restaurant in Paris or New York. She gently cut the fish that seemed to crumble perfectly when it was cut. The flavor erupted in her mouth. It was perfectly cooked. The chipotle spice and creaminess of the avocado only enhanced the fish.

"It's so good." Jessica said with a smile.

"I'll pass it along to the chef." Benji said as he topped off their wine glasses.

Stacie got an idea. "Could you ask her to come out here? I'd like to give her my compliments personally."

"Of course." Benji smiled and quickly left the room.

"You're being summoned to the dining room." Benji said as Beca stood leaning against the counter holding a plate of tilapia in front of her.

"Why?" She asked as she swallowed the fish.

"They want to tell you how great it is." Benji said with a smile. "Good job Beca."

Beca rolled her eyes and handed her plate over to Benji would gladly accepted it. "Thanks" He said picking up a fork and digging in.

Beca's breath hitched as soon as she saw Chloe sitting at the table. She cleared her throat as she continued into the room standing with her hands in front of her clasped together tightly. "Would you like to have dessert tonight ladies?" Beca asked.

The women at the table looked around at each other shaking their heads. "No I don't think so" Stacie answered for the group.

"Did everything taste okay?" Beca asked nervously. Benji said they wanted to compliment her but she didn't have many guests that turned down dessert if they were satisfied with the meal. Her eyes nervously glanced to Chloe who wore a cute smile.

"It was amazing." Aubrey supplied. "Truly one of the best I've ever had."

"Thank you" Beca said with a slight head nod.

"I agree. It was so good." CR said as she sat back at the table bringing her wine glass with her. "You can cook for my any time."

Beca smiled. "Thank you ladies." She felt awkward standing there while they complimented her. "Enjoy your night." She said as she backed out of the room taking one last look at Chloe for the evening. Once she returned back to the kitchen she took her apron off and laid it on the counter. "This for Flo and the girls" Beca said as she held up a bag that Benji assumed contained so to-go containers. "I left you some in the fridge and I'm gonna take this back to the house." She explained as she grabbed her own bag to bring back to Jesse as she promised. "See you back at the guest house."

"Thanks Becs." Benji said as she watched Beca exit the kitchen and walk through the living area to the pool and back around so she wouldn't have to pass the dining room again.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe pulled the lime wedge from her mouth and her face puckered immediately. "I can't" she choked. "I can't do any more." She said as she put the shot glass down on the poolside table.

"Boo" Stacie yelled towards her. "You're a lightweight."

Chloe playfully shot her friend the middle finger.

"So. Dinner was amazing." Stacie decided Chloe was buzzed enough to admit her feeling towards Beca. "The table was dressed gorgeously. My ladies were looking superhot. And the chef was pretty easy on the eyes too." She slipped in.

Aubrey giggled into her wine glass as her eyes quickly found Chloe who was blushing. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the fire coming from the nearby fire pit but it was probably at the thought of Beca.

"So. You gonna hit that Chlo?" CR said loudly. She was drunk.

"What? No" Chloe replied quickly. "I'm not going to … hit that." She repeated trying to sound angry but couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Looks like you want to hit that." Jessica chimed in.

"Oh my God" Chloe said as she cover her face in her hands.

"What happens in Cabo stays in Cabo" Stacie grinned. "I mean am I right?"

Chloe shook her head in her hands unable to look at her friends.

"What's that?" CR asked suddenly changing the subject. She pointed down the beach to an area that should be pitch black but now a small light could be seen off in the distance.

"I don't know" Aubrey said turning in her chair to get a good look. She squinted her eyes but it didn't help.

"Hey Benji" Stacie called out.

A few seconds later the man appeared. "Yes ma'am. What can I do for you?"

"I thought this beach was private." Stacie said looking at him with wide eyes.

"It is." He nodded.

"Then what's that?" CR asked as she pointed in the direction again.

Benji followed her hand. "Oh. That's probably just Beca." He said looking at the familiar light.

5 head snapped back towards him swiftly waiting for more explanation. "Sometimes she goes out to the beach at night after she's done. She and Jesse dug a fire pit down there."

"Is Jesse down there too?" Stacie asked. She thought he was cute and she wouldn't be opposed to getting laid while on vacation.

"No. He's driving Flo and the other girls home." Benji said with a smile.

Chloe looked back in the direction of the small flame as her friends began chatting again.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca poked the flames with a stick she'd found on her walk down from the guest house. After dinner service was complete she'd gone back to the guest house and showered off her long day. She threw on an old pair of loose jeans and a flannel shirt over a t-shirt. She grabbed the six pack of beer from the fridge and invited Jesse to join her down on the beach but just as they were walking out he got a call from Flo that they were ready to go home. So here she sat sipping Corona, watching the flames of the fire dance, listening to the sound of the water flowing up on the shore, and thinking about the redhead a few hundred yards away. After a couple of beers she leaned back and rested her head on her trusty warm pillow. She'd slept on the beach before so she let her eyes drift close. She wasn't sure if she'd actually been asleep but when her head jerked up quickly and then fell back to the sand with a thud she knew someone was coming.

"Hi there" Chloe said as she stopped walking seeing the dog approached her. "What's your name?" The dog sniffed her hand quickly and sat down in front of her as she petted its head. She could see that the dog was mostly white but had a large black patch over one of his eyes and one black ear. She heard a whistle and the dog got up quickly and ran back in the direction of the fire.

"Tuck!" Beca called out. She could hear his collar clanking against his metal tag as he ran back towards her. "What the hell dude?" She asked as he came back to her. She looked in the direction he came from and could make out a shadow coming their way. Beca blinked quickly. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe she'd drank all the beer and passed out on the beach and this was a dream. Chloe wasn't really walking towards her in that fucking white dress.

"He's a sweetie. Did you call him Tuck?" Chlo asked as she approached the two.

The dogs head turned back toward her after hearing his name called.

"Mind if I join you?" Chloe asked as she stopped a couple of feet away from them.

"Yeah, of course." Beca said as she snapped her fingers at the dog who quickly circled around the fire pit and returned to laying in his original place right behind her. "Where's your friends?" Beca asked looking to see if they were following her.

"At the house. I wanted to take a walk and saw your fire." Chloe said as she pulled her dress underneath her butt and sat on the sand crossing her legs out in front of her and leaning back on her hands.

"You shouldn't be walking the beach by yourself." Beca scolded.

"Why not?" Chloe turned her head and asked. "It's a private beach right. Only us?"

"Yeah but you never know." Beca replied. "Want a beer?" She asked looking over to the six pack that still sat in the sand.

"Sure." Chloe said with a smile. She watched as Beca bent forward and pulled out two bottle and fumbled in the card board sleeve for something. A few seconds later she pulled out a bottle opener and handed one over to the redhead who sat watching her with a smile. "Dinner was really good Becs." Chloe said just before taking a sip.

"Thanks" Beca hoped the fire hid her blush. "I'm glad you liked it."

"You said earlier that you went to culinary school. Where did you go?" Chloe asked hoping to learn as much about the girl as she possibly could.

"Le Cordon Bleu." Beca answered simply.

"Where is that?"

"Paris." Beca said as she put the bottle to her lips.

"Oh. Wow." Chloe replied surprised. "That's impressive."

Beca shrugged.

There was silence between them for a few minutes before Beca spoke again. "I'm sure you've eaten in some pretty nice restaurants all over the world being the famous actress that you are."

Chloe's head turned towards her quickly.

"Jesse told me" Beca smiled. "Sorry I didn't recognize you. I don't really watch movies."

"You don't watch movies?" Chloe asked.

"No. Don't really like them. Music is more my thing." Beca replied.

Chloe felt a cold shiver run through her body. When Beca said the word music she instantly thought of Luke for the first time since earlier that day. "How" She stumbled over her words, "how did you get into that? Music I mean."

"I've always been into music." Beca teased. "But my parents didn't really support that as a profession. They wanted me to go into the family business."

"Their chefs too?" Chloe asked.

"No. My dad was a successful business man. He bought into and owned several restaurants but I just didn't want to do that. So I talked them into sending me to culinary school. I'd always liked cooking and since my family was involved in so many restaurants it was a compromise." Beca answered.

"So where are they now?" Chloe asked hanging on Beca's every word.

Beca took a long pull from her beer. She didn't normally talk about her parents but she found Chloe especially easy to talk to. "They died 6 years ago. Their plane went down off the coast of Africa."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I didn't" She started but Beca cut her off.

"Of course you didn't know." Beca said for her. She knew they would be the next words out of the redhead's mouth. "It's fine."

Silence washed over them again as they looked out at the ocean, occasionally stealing glances at each other.

"What are you doing out here?" Chloe whispered. The air felt heavy between them and she didn't know why.

Beca shrugged as she placed her empty bottle in the cardboard holder and pulled out another bottle going through the same process of searching for the bottle cap opener. "It's a good way to relax." Beca smiled as she looked over at the redhead. The light from the fire illuminating half of her face. Her wavy hair softly blowing in the ocean breeze. "It can be stressful cooking for our guests. Guests who have such high standards." She teased. "So sitting on this beach with this guy" she reached back and gave Tuck's head a rub, "helps me relax after work."

"I didn't mean to interrupt you." Chloe apologized quickly.

"No. That's not what I meant." Beca said just as quickly. "I'm glad you're here. I like talking to you."

"I like talking to you too. I wanted to back at the house but you disappeared so quickly." Chloe said as she took the opportunity to push herself to her knees and reach across Beca placing her empty bottle in the holder and pulling out the last beer. "Do you mind?" She asked flipping her hair and looking back at Beca over her shoulder.

Beca shook her head slowly as she watched Chloe move. She watched the actress find the bottle opener and pop the top off the bottle before slowly moving back.

Chloe purposely sat a little closer to the brunette when she returned with a fresh bottle of beer. "Why'd you run off so quickly?" Chloe asked.

Four beers in a Beca felt confident and courageous. "When I came into the dining room and saw you." She paused to look over at Chloe who was looking anxiously back at her. "You literally took my breath away." Beca breathed not much louder than a whisper. She swallowed and collected her thoughts again, "You look so beautiful."

"Thanks" Chloe replied softly.

"And it's kind of weird just standing there while everyone tells you how good dinner was. Other chefs love to hear that kind of stuff but I just feel so awkward. I never know what to say." Beca admitted. "And you in that dress with those eyes and your stupid perfect smile." Beca blushed at her own words. "I just needed to get out of there. Needed to catch my breath." She admitted.

Chloe leaned forward towards Beca she used the hand that wasn't holding her beer to reach around and grab the back of Beca's neck pulling the chef towards her. Her lips landing solidly on Beca's who she could feel was caught off guard by the action but slowly caught on and kissed her back. Chloe pulled away with hooded eyes.

"Um" Beca mumbled.

Beca's voice snapped her out of her trance. "I've got to get back" Chloe said softly trying to cover the treble in her voice. She knew she was in trouble. She shouldn't have done that but when Beca said she was beautiful and that she'd taken her breath away, all Chloe could think about was kissing her. And so she did. She didn't regret it but she knew she wasn't free to be kissing other people. "I've been gone a while and I don't want my friends to worry. And it's getting a bit cold out here." She said hoping to cover her tracks. She stood up and brushed the sand from her dress.

"Yeah okay. Do you want me to walk you back?" Beca asked standing quickly. She didn't hesitate taking her flannel shirt off and wrapping around Chloe's shoulders.

"No." Chloe smiled at Beca's actions. "I'll be fine."

"At least take Tuck with you." Beca said quickly. "Then just tell him to go home once your back."

"Really?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. It would make me feel better about you walking along the beach at night. Even if it is private." Beca answered.

"What about you?" Chloe asked.

"I'm gonna put this out and then head up to the guest house." Beca answered quickly.

"Okay." Chloe smiled. "Thanks again."

"Chloe I" Beca started but stopped when Chloe leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Good night Becs." She whispered as she pulled away.

Chloe turned and took a few steps away before Beca broke out of her trance. She snapped her fingers and turned towards the white dog. "Tuck. Go" She said pointing at Chloe. The dog was on his feet in seconds and ran to catch up to the actress who dropped her hand to rub his head as they walked together along the beach.

Beca watched them until she couldn't see them anymore before turning back to the fire kicking sand over it to extinguish it.

* * *

 **AN2: As always fine people. Please tell me your thoughts. Love it or hate it. Keep going or trash it. I'm all ears.**

 **TITLE SONG CRED: Amy Shark: Adore**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: In case you didn't see it. I posted two chapters on Sunday (3 &4). So if you are a little confused when you start reading this you might want to go back and read the last chapter...**

* * *

CHAPTER 5: CAN WE TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, BABY, DO YOU DARE?

 **Day Two**

Beca took a sip of the coffee and sat the mug down on the counter top. She flipped on the water faucet and ran her hands under the water to wash off the remnants of the veggies that she'd cut up for the morning omelets. She shook the droplets off her hands and into the sink when she saw a plate being sat on the counter next to her.

"Hi" Chloe smiled as she leaned against the counter.

Beca looked from the plate and up to Chloe. "You shouldn't be doing that." Beca said with a smile. "Fat Amy would kill Flo if she saw you carrying your own dishes."

Chloe shrugged. "I don't mind and it gives me a reason to come and thank you for another delicious breakfast." She watched as Beca smiled softly. "You're very talented Beca."

"Thank you." The brunette whispered. She looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone before turning back to Chloe. "Would you maybe want to take a walk on the beach with me and Tuck?" Beca asked softly.

Chloe smiled but didn't have a chance to respond.

"There you are" Aubrey said entering the kitchen. "The girls want to head into town to do some shopping. Maybe hit up a few antique shops. I was going to call Jesse to take us. Sound good?"

"You'll want to go down to the Marina. They have a bunch of shops there and Jesse knows of a couple of local places if you're interested in more non-touristy things." Beca said turning around. She dried her hands on a dish towel and tossed it on the kitchen island in front of her. "You should call Amy to arrange it. She'll make sure that Lily has security escort you."

"Thanks Beca." Aubrey replied. "So, we'll leave in like an hour. You good with that Chlo?"

Chloe smiled and nodded at her best friend without offering a verbal response.

"Great. I'll call Amy and set everything up." The blonde said as she left the room.

"So I guess I'll see you tonight at dinner." Beca said after they were alone in the room again. "Enjoy your day." She said as she walked around the island.

"Wait!" Chloe said a little loudly flinching at the sound of her voice.

Beca stopped and looked at her questioningly.

"Is your offer is still good?" Chloe asked sheepishly. "For that walk?"

"What about your friends and shopping?" Beca asked.

"We do that all the time and I don't really feel like going into town. I'd much prefer to hang out around here." Chloe smiled. "And I met this really handsome guy last night and I heard he was gonna be walking on the beach."

Beca's smiled dropped slightly.

"I think Tuck and I had something special and I'd really like to see him again." The redhead teased. "So, if the offer still stands I'd love to take that walk with you."

Beca nodded slowly. "Yeah." She replied softly.

"I'll meet you outside in about an hour?" Chloe asked.

"Okay." Beca replied. She felt the butterflies swimming in her stomach as she watched Chloe walk out of the room. Beca snapped out of her daze a few seconds later and hurried out of the house and towards the guest house. "Hello?" Beca called out as she walked through the small house towards the living room.

Jesse held up a finger to her while he used his other hand to hold the phone to his ear. "Yeah of course." He answered.

Beca plopped down on the couch and placed her feet on the coffee table in front of her. She pulled her lips back against her teeth and lightly blew air over her curled tongue and out of her mouth creating a high pitched whistle. Seconds later Tuck jumped up on the couch next to her and laid his head in her lap. "Hey buddy" She said scratching his head.

"At what time?" Jesse asked and then listened. "Yeah, I'll be there." He said quickly. "Bye."

"What up?" Beca asked presuming he was talking to Amy about the girl's plans to go shopping.

"Orders from Amy." He answered. "How was breakfast?"

"Good" Beca smiled.

"Uh huh." Jesse replied with a large grin.

"What?" Beca asked.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "I got to go fill up the SUV. We'll talk about that face" he said motioning to her, "tonight."

"What face?" Beca asked turning her attention away from him and to the dog next to her.

"That smitten face you've been sporting for the last couple of days." He said with a laugh.

"Smitten?" Beca questioned teasingly. "Do people still say that?"

"I do. I say it all the time" Jesse smiled, "and don't try to change the subject. You are totally smitten."

"Whatever" Beca mumbled as he made his way out of the room. "Want to go for a walk on the beach?" She asked the dog. "Chloe will be there."

Tuck's head popped up and twisted as he looked at his owner.

 **XxXxXx**

"Hey Bree" Chloe said as she walked into her best friends room.

"You ready?" Aubrey asked not looking up as she strapped her foot into her sandal.

"I'm just going to hang back here." Chloe said. "Don't really feel like shopping."

"What?" Aubrey's head snapped up.

"I'm going to stay here." Chloe repeated.

"Yeah, I heard you Chlo. What's wrong?" Aubrey asked standing and crossing the room quickly to stand in front of her friend.

"Nothing. I just don't want to go." Chloe said quickly hoping to be convincing enough that Aubrey would believe her and let it go.

"Chloe" Aubrey said warningly.

"Beca asked me to go for a walk with her." Chloe said spilling the truth.

"I see" The lawyer said taking a step back. "So" Aubrey paused, "Do you want to tell me what's going on there?"

"Nothing's going on." Chloe said blushing.

"You know I don't believe that right? Like not even for a second." The blonde said backing up to take a seat on her bed. "You walked out to the beach last night to talk to her and then you came back wearing her shirt. The way you look at her is the exact opposite of 'nothing's going on'" Aubrey said quirking an eyebrow.

Chloe shrugged. "I like talking to her. She's interesting."

"Chloe" Aubrey breathed. "You know I'm on your side right?"

"Um? Yes?" Chloe replied unsure of what Aubrey was saying.

"I want you to be happy but I also want you to be careful." Aubrey stood from the bed and closed the distance between them. She ran her hands down Chloe's arms until their hands were joined together. "You don't know Beca. You don't know her intentions. You don't know if she's looking to make a quick buck by selling information about you to the tabloids." Aubrey swallowed, she knew the next part was going to sound horrible but she couldn't think of a better way to say it, "It's one thing to be the girl that gets cheated on but it's a completely different thing to be the girl that cheats on her boyfriend while on vacation with her friends. That's a story that you don't want written about you. People would look at you completely different and that's not the image you've built."

Chloe stepped away from her friend. "Right well ... thanks for that Bree."

"Chloe." Aubrey said again.

"No. It's fine. I know what you mean … I do. And you're right. I don't know Beca very well. And I don't know if she want's anything from me. And I should be careful so I will. Thank you for reminding me. I won't forget again." Chloe said as she turned and began walking of the room. She paused at the door and turned back, "Not everyone is after something from me Bree. I have to believe that or else I'll never meet anyone new. I have to believe that or else I'm trapped in this life just because of what I do. You know, I never wanted to be famous. I just wanted to act."

"I don't know if you can trust her Chloe." Aubrey said quietly. "Besides, doesn't everybody want something from somebody?"

"Maybe" Chloe conceded, "But, maybe she just wants to walk on the beach." Chloe said quickly as she left leaving Aubrey standing in her room.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca resisted the urge to look back at the house once again. It had been over an hour and the thought that Chloe had changed her mind had been swarming through her head for the past several minutes. "Okay" She said as Tuck dropped the tennis ball at her feet. It was wet and covered in sand when she picked it up. He sat down calmly by her feet and tried as hard as he could to be patient. Beca reached back and threw the ball, launching it in a large arc, sending it flying down the beach as far as she could. As soon as the ball was in the air Tuck's feet were moving quickly, racing to get it and bring it back so the process could be repeated.

"Nice throw." Chloe said as she approached Beca from behind.

The voice immediately sent a shiver down Beca's spine. She turned with a smile towards the approaching redhead.

"Going incognito?" Beca asked poking fun at Chloe's oversized straw hat.

Chloe rolled her eyes. It's to keep the sun off my face and shoulders you jerk. Sorry I'm late. The girls just left. They were running late of course." Chloe rolled her eyes.

"No worries." Beca smiled. "So what did you tell them?" She asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"I'm sure they weren't happy that you were ditching them. What excuse did you give?" Beca asked.

"That I was gonna hang out at the beach." Chloe said simply. "With you."

Beca's eyes lit up hearing the last part. Beca tilted her head in the direction she threw the ball inviting Chloe to walk with her. As they started down the beach Chloe smiled as Tuck came sprinting back in their direction. "He's so cute" Chloe said. "He must attract a lot of attention. Admirers." She was fishing. She knew she was and so did Beca.

"Oh yeah. That's why I got him. Without him I'd never get a date." Beca said with a smirk. She felt Chloe brush gently into her shoulder.

"I was kidding." Chloe smiled.

"But no." Beca said bravely.

"No?" Chloe asked.

"I'm not seeing anyone." Beca answered as Tuck took his place walking next to her.

Chloe's head flew back in laughter. "That's not what I was asking."

Beca smiled, holding back her own laughter, "It wasn't?" She knew better.

Chloe's eyes crinkled at the corner as her smile grew. She choose not to answer as they continued to walk.

After the giggles died down Beca struck up the conversation. "Why acting?" She asked.

Chloe took a deep breath as she looked at the beautiful white sand beach laid out in front of her. The ocean to her left was bright blue and beautiful and there wasn't another soul for miles. "Have you ever just wanted to be someone else? If only for a minute?" She asked hesitantly.

Beca didn't reply but she knew that feeling.

"So that's why." Chloe continued. "Because I can be someone else. I can feel what they feel. I can be what they are. I can be strong. I can be funny. I can be confident." She chanced a look at Beca who was looking intently at her. "I can be sexy and flirty. I can be anything."

Beca reached down and picked up the ball Tuck dropped as they continued walking. He sat as soon as she picked up the ball and she didn't waste any time throwing it down the beach. "It can't be that bad being you. Can it?" Beca asked.

Chloe thought about it for a second. "No. It's not. I've had rough moments, especially growing up, just like everyone else I guess." Chloe answered. "Not that my childhood was horrible but it wasn't like my friends." She stopped talking quickly as she remembered their conversation from the night before and about Beca's parents. "Acting was just an escape. An outlet." She turned back towards the brunette who was watching her dog. "Much like I would assume music is for you."

"Just so you know." Beca swallowed, "I think you're all those things."

Chloe looked at her questioningly.

"I think you're strong and funny. Confident. Flirty and sexy." Beca said with a gentle smile.

Chloe bumped into her shoulder again, this time a little more forcefully. "Wow!" Chloe giggled. "Now that was smooth Beca Mitchell."

Beca blushed. "I'm wasn't." She stumbled over her own words. "I'm not. I was just." She stopped again trying to collect her thoughts, "whatever. You are. All those things." She forced the words out of her mouth with less elegance than she would have liked.

"You're cute."

Beca rolled her eyes and groaned in response.

"What? You're not cute?" Chloe asked.

"The cute one, never gets the girl." Beca said quickly with a teasing smile.

"I thought you didn't watch movies?" Chloe questioned suspiciously.

"I don't. Everybody knows that the girl never goes for the cute one. It's the dark mysterious ones that always win. Right?" Beca asked playfully.

The thought that Beca knew about Luke passed quickly through Chloe's mind and the smile she'd been wearing since they started their walk fell from her face.

"Hey" Beca said grabbing her hand and pulling her to a stop. "Did I say something wrong?" She asked. "I'm sorry if I did. I didn't mean to upset you."

Chloe searched the dark blue eyes but didn't see anything but sincerity in them. "No. You didn't say anything wrong." Chloe whispered softly. She looked down to see that her right hand was still joined in Beca's left. She liked the way it felt.

The loud sound of Tuck barking jolted them both from their trance.

"He doesn't like to be ignored." Beca said as she turned back in the direction they were walking. Chloe's hand still firmly in hers. "So your childhood." Beca said striking the conversation back up. "Why was it not like your friends?"

"Oh" Chloe said bringing her left hand up to lightly touch her chin momentarily before dropping back down to her side. "My parents split when I was young. Which isn't uncommon, I know. But they split up me and my older brother. He went to live with my dad and I stayed with our mom. He was my best friend. I loved him so much and then he was just gone. Moved to another state with my dad and you know we were kids. We didn't exactly have a way to stay in touch."

"That sucks." Beca agreed.

"None of my friends could relate to that so I felt alone." Chloe shrugged. "So I pretended a lot. Pretended he was there. Talked to him. I guess that's how I figured out I was pretty good at acting."

Tuck dropped the ball in front of Beca asked her to throw it again.

They stopped walking and dropped hands. Beca bent down to pick up the ball. Chloe immediately feeling the loss of Beca's hand, reached back and stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her cut off jean shorts. Beca turned back. "We should head back towards the house." She said not realizing how far they had walked. Beca threw the ball back in the direction of the house and watched as Tuck took off again.

"Now it's my turn." Chloe smiled with her hands still tucked in her jean shorts.

"For?" Beca asked.

"Questions."

Beca groaned. She hated talking about herself.

"So why Cabo? How did you get here from Paris cooking school?" Chloe asked genuinely interested.

Beca took a deep breath. "Well." She paused thinking of where exactly to start. "When I finished cooking school I went back to New York."

Chloe quirked a questioning eyebrow.

"That's where I grew up." Beca answered. "I got an apprenticeship at Per Se with Thomas Keller."

"I've been there." Chloe said quickly with a smile. "Last year. It was really good."

Beca nodded. She'd really enjoyed her time there. Cooking school was great but she really learned with Thomas. "I was about 3 months from opening up my own restaurant. When my parent's plane went down." She chanced a glance over to Chloe before continuing. "After that, the restaurant plans pretty much stopped. I sold off what I'd started and left New York."

"For Cabo?" Chloe asked trying to put the pieces together.

"Not originally." Beca answered. "I didn't have any other family."

Chloe's heart physically hurt for the brunette.

"No brothers or sisters. No grandparents. My mom has a sister that we were never close to and I think she has a few kids so I have some cousins somewhere that I've never met." Beca answered Chloe's questioning eyes. "But I had Jesse. He's my family now."

"Jesse. Our driver?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. We grew up together. After high school we both went to NYU and I hated it. After the first year I went off to Paris and he stayed in NYU film school. When he graduated he moved to LA to try to make in movies around the time I came back to New York. But when my parents died I sold off the restaurant and I went out to LA for about 6 months. He was struggling in LA and we both just wanted a change of pace. A place to get away from everything. So we hopped on a plane and ended up here." Beca said telling the shortest version of the story possible. "We'd been here for a month or so before we met Amy. She was trying to build this vacation company and that's how Lux Cabo came about. My inheritance supplied the start-up capital and we picked out the house and had it remodeled, picked out a few other smaller properties and the rest is history."

Chloe stopped suddenly.

Beca took a couple more steps before she realized Chloe wasn't next to her anymore. "What?"

"That house is yours?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah." Beca answered. "But not really. I mean I own it but I don't live there. It's for company business only. I live in an apartment in town."

Chloe began walking again and Beca fell into stride when she caught up with her as they continued back down the beach towards the large house. There was a lull in the conversation as they wondered down the beach closer to the water.

"So" Beca cleared her throat. "Last night" She said nervously.

Chloe froze. She knew Beca was going to ask about the kiss. She could hear the nervous shake in the brunette's voice.

"You um" Beca continued but stopped when a strong wind ripped Chloe's hat off her head and sent it tumbling down the beach.

"Ahhhh" Chloe giggled as she instinctively began running after her hat.

Beca smiled and jogged after the redhead. Tuck jumped and barked as the actress tried valiantly to collect her hat.

"Stop laughing and help me" She called back to Beca.

The hat floated through the air and landed in the shallow water that crawled up the sand allowing Chloe to catch up to it. She bent over and picked it up out of the water.

Beca caught up to her and stopped right behind the redhead. She gently placed her hands on Chloe's hips as the actress stood up with her wet hat in hand. Chloe leaned back into Beca's body as the chef slid her arms around her waist. They stood looking out over the water enjoying the feeling of their bodies against each other and the silence that surrounded them. "I really like you." Beca whispered.

Chloe turned in Beca's arms. The sight of the house just up the beach got her attention. She hadn't realized they were that close to the mansion. "Do you want to come in?" Chloe asked looking back into Beca's dark blue eyes. "I mean come in the house? With me?"

Beca nodded slowly as she stared into Chloe's eyes.

"Give me five minutes?" Chloe asked. "I just want to make sure the girls aren't back yet."

Beca swallowed and nodded again. She loosened her grip on Chloe and turned to watch the redhead jog up the beach towards the house. She turned back towards the ocean when she'd finally lost sight of the actress. Tuck sat down next to her and dropped the ball at her feet once again. He looked up at her with his chocolate brown eyes.

"What?" She asked the dog. "Don't look at me like that." She said continuing the conversation with the dog who held eye contact with her. "No" Beca rolled her eyes at the dog. "I'm not in love with her." She said. She knew she wasn't in love with the beautiful actress but she couldn't help the feeling that she was beginning to fall in love with her. She stood looking over the ocean for a couple more minutes before she turned back towards the house and started the walk up the beach. Tuck was right behind her as they climbed the wooden staircase that led from the beach to the pool deck. "Stay" She said snapping her fingers and pointing down. She heard Tucks feet stop and turned to see him lay down with his legs stretched out in front of him. He dropped the tennis ball in his mouth gently between his front legs and dropped his head to the side. His eyes watching her enter the house.

She didn't see Chloe in the living area when she walked into the open house. So she continued towards the kitchen. "Hello?" Beca called out.

"Beca" Chloe's voice was hushed but urgent from behind her.

Beca stopped and turned. "Hey" She greeted.

"I'm sorry" Chloe said quickly catching Beca off guard. She was about to ask why she was apologizing when she heard another voice bounding down the stairs getting closer to them.

"Where did you run off too?" The man's voice called out.

Chloe's eyes were panicked as she turned away from Beca and back towards Luke who rounded the corner and entered the room they were in.

"Oh. Hi." He said with a smile. "That was fast. I'd just asked Jesse to send someone over." He said.

Beca stood silent. She was completely confused. "Jesse?" She mumbled.

"Yeah." Luke said as he walked up and wrapped his arms around Chloe from behind the way she had just stood with Chloe down at the beach. "I'm starving babe. Are you?" He asked softly into Chloe's ear.

"N" Chloe stuttered. "N no."

"Okay well I'm going to have something." He said placing a kiss to her neck that she tried to lean away from.

Beca's gaze dropped from the pair to the floor. She wanted to get out of there but she felt like her legs weighed 2000 pounds.

"Could you clean up the table over here?" Luke said tipping his head backwards. "I'll eat there. Is there like a menu or something? Or will you just get me whatever I want?"

" don't have to do that" She said to Beca with panicked eyes before turning to her boyfriend, "Luke. It's not her job to clean the" Chloe started.

Somehow Beca found her voice. "Yeah. Sure." She was amazed when her feet started to move towards the small table that sat in the corner of the room overlooking the pool. She grabbed the glasses that sat on the top from the morning and a couple of plates that had remained there from where Jessica and CR had their breakfast.

She past them quickly and headed back to the kitchen. Once her back was to the pair she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as if it would make her disappear.

"So" She heard Luke's voice behind her. "I surprised you right? You love surprises." He said playfully. She didn't want to hear Chloe's answer but it was impossible to block it out.

"Yeah. You surprised me." The actress said looking at him but trying to keep Beca in her peripheral vision.

"Excuse me." Jesse said loudly as he entered the room. "Someone will be here to make you lunch in about 10 minutes." He said to Luke. He saw the look in Chloe's eyes but didn't care. He turned back to Beca who stood looking away from them in the kitchen.

"Oh great." Luke said. "You sure you don't want anything babe?" He asked.

Beca dropped the plates loudly in the sink and turned back towards the pair just in time to see Luke lean in and kiss Chloe on the lips. The redhead bent backwards but was unable to escape his lips. Her hands held tightly to his arms as she tried to push further away from him but it was impossible with the way his arms were tightly wrapped around her waist.

Beca was moving again. Her feet carried her past Luke and Chloe. She felt Jesse's eyes on her as she walked out of the living room and onto the pool deck making a bee-line for the stairs. "Let's go Tuck." She said just above a whisper.

The black and white dog stood quickly, grabbing his ball in his mouth and turning to quickly catch up with her.

* * *

 **AN2: I'm ready for your thoughts...**

 **Song Cred: James Arthur, Naked**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: I CAN'T LOSE MY MIND WHILE WISHING FOR YOU

 **Night Three**

"Chloe!" Stacie called through the house as soon as she and the others entered. "We're back." She glanced out by the pool but didn't see the redhead on the deck or in the water. She placed her bags down on the sofa and continued walking through the home.

"Where is she?" Jessica asked as she followed Stacie's actions and dropped several bags on the floor.

"Maybe she's napping." CR shrugged.

"I'll go check." Aubrey offered. She placed her things on a nearby table and headed for the stairs taking them quickly up to Chloe's room. The door was open so she quietly walking in. "Chlo?" She whispered. She didn't see the redhead in the bed so she continued into the room. "Chloe?" Aubrey said seeing Chloe standing on the balcony. "Hey. We're back."

Chloe didn't make a move. She wasn't ready to explain anything to anyone and she was praying that Aubrey would just leave but she wasn't that lucky.

"Chlo." Aubrey said as she came up next to her. "Hey what's wrong?" Aubrey asked alarmed when she saw Chloe's red eyes. "Did that little shit do something? I'll kill her."

"No" Chloe said with a heavy voice.

"No?" Aubrey asked.

"It wasn't Beca" Chloe croaked.

"Then what's wrong honey?" Aubrey asked pushing a strand of red hair behind Chloe's ear.

"Luke was here." She said as she finally turned towards her friend. She was hoping it wasn't as bad as it felt when she turned towards Aubrey. Chloe knew when she'd seen her face in the mirror about 30 minutes ago that it looked bad. She was praying time had healed it a little but by the immediate expression on Aubrey's face she knew it didn't.

"What the fuck Chloe!" Aubrey yelled loudly. She reached forward and gently cupped Chloe's face in her hands turning her head slightly to the right to inspect her face. She watched Aubrey's expression fall and tears fill her eyes as they raked over her face. "Did Luke do this?" She demanded.

"What's going on guys?" Stacie asked walking out on the balcony. She'd heard Aubrey yell.

The blonde and the redhead turned to see Stacie and their other friends standing looking at them.

"What happened?" Jessica asked softly as she pushed past the others. She looked closely at Chloe's left eye and cheek.

"Luke was here." Chloe repeated.

"What?" Stacie questioned loudly.

It seemed to be all Chloe could say. She was having trouble processing what had taken place in the last hour and now all of her friends were here staring at her … wanting answers … wanting explanations and she wasn't ready. Tears began pouring out of her bright blue eyes.

Aubrey pulled her quickly into a tight hug. Squeezing her best friend to hopefully provide Chloe with comfort but feeling her best friend in her arms comforted her more. She didn't understand what had taken place in the few hours they'd been gone. Everything seemed fine when they left and now here they were.

"I'm going to make some tea." CR said. "Clean her up and bring her down. It will help to calm her." She instructed.

Stacie stood frozen. She couldn't believe her eyes and Aubrey just continued to hold the sobbing actress.

"Okay" Jessica was the only one who acknowledged.

 **XxXxXx**

Jesse slammed the door behind him. "Becs?" He called out walking through the guesthouse. Shortly after Beca ran out of the mansion he got the call from Lily that the other girls were ready to be picked up from their shopping excursion. It had been a couple of hours since he'd seen Beca and he was frantically looking for her. He rounded the corner and found his best friend sitting just outside of the sliding glass door in a lawn chair with a beer in her hand and a couple empty bottles at her feet. He slid the door open slowly. "You okay?"

She made no attempt to move or even look at him as she sat in the chair with Tuck's head laying over her bare feet.

"I'm sorry." He quickly apologized. "When Amy called me this morning and told me to drop them at the Marina with Lily and then pick up someone at the airport she didn't say who it was. I didn't know he'd be here."

"But you did know he existed." Beca replied her voice flat and emotionless. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to call you from the airport when I saw who it was but you didn't answer the phone." He said quickly. "I tried to warn you."

"It's fine Jesse" Beca sighed and lifted the bottle, placing it to her lips. "I don't care." She added after she swallowed.

Jesse knew better. He knew she cared and he knew she was hurting even though should probably wouldn't admit it. "His name is Luke Chambers. He's the lead singer of the band Hammersmith. He's been photo'd with a different actress recently and I swear I didn't think they were still together."

"It's okay Jesse … really." Beca said as she let the bottle slide from her palm down towards the concrete, placing it down next to the other empty bottles. She pushed herself up from the chair. "It's not like I have any reason to be upset. I just thought" Beca paused to collect her emotions, "I don't know what I thought. It doesn't matter."

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Got to get dinner started." Beca said quickly. She wasn't looking forward to it but it was her job.

"I called Amy and she sent Bumper over. He's going to take over the charter." Jesse said hoping it would make Beca feel better that she didn't have to go back over to the house.

"Why would you do that?" Beca said loudly. "That's not your place Jesse."

He took a step back defensively. "I thought it would be easier for you to not have to see her again."

The kicked puppy dog look in his eyes sobered her up slightly and she lowered her voice to a normal level. "Thanks but that still wasn't your decision Jesse."

"I was just trying to help you." He said softly.

"I don't need your help." Beca replied as she brushed past her friend and into the house. He stood looking out the backside of the house until he heard her bedroom door shut. His eyes floated down when Tuck whined and laid his head back down on his white paws.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe sat with her hands wrapped around the mug.

"Okay." Aubrey said when she walked back into the room. "He's gone." She leaned down and softly kissed the top of Chloe's head. "Amy said that the driver she sent to pick him up confirmed that he found Luke in town and him and Lily put Luke on a plane about 10 minutes ago."

"What happened Chloe?" Jessica asked softly.

"I was" Chloe blinked quickly to stop herself from crying again. "I was with Beca" she choked on the woman's name as soon as it left her mouth.

After seeing Chloe's face, Aubrey had forgotten all about the chef and now as Chloe composed herself to speak she couldn't stop wondering where the girl was and how she fit into all this.

"We were walking on the beach and when we came back... all of a sudden he was here." Chloe managed to get out. She turned quickly to Aubrey, her eyes already pleading before she could ask, "Can you find out where Beca is? If she's okay?"

Aubrey nodded.

"Did Luke hurt Beca too?" Stacie asked taking a seat next to her friend and gently rubbing her back.

"No" Chloe said. "I. I did."

"You did what?" Stacie asked.

"I hurt Beca." Chloe confessed her eyes filled with tears.

"How did you hurt Beca?" Stacie was lost. She was trying to follow the redhead but it just wasn't adding up.

"We had such a good time on the beach. We talked and we were getting to know each other better and I invited her up to the house." Chloe said shyly. "When I came up here Luke was here. I was shocked and then Beca came in and" Chloe fought back a sob. "I hadn't even told her about him. She had no idea." Chloe couldn't contain her emotions anymore. "The look on her face when she left. She was so hurt."

Stacie reached around and hugged her friend.

"I deserved everything that I got from Luke." Chloe cried.

"Hey!" Aubrey called from across the room. She lowered the phone from her ear. "Don't you ever say that Chloe." Aubrey was pissed. "I don't care what you did. You absolutely did not deserve that. Do you understand me?"

Chloe nodded as she cried in Stacie's embrace.

Aubrey put the phone back up to her ear when she heard the deep voice on the other end.

"Jesse. Hey it's Aubrey Posen. Do you know where Beca is?"

"No ma'am." Jesse answered professionally. "Bumper Allen, our other chef on staff, will be coming back to do your dinner service and he will be taking over all culinary responsibilities for the remainder of your stay."

"What? No. That's not" Aubrey looked back over at Chloe who was looking at her with large blue eyes. "That's not why I called. Chloe wanted me to see if Beca was there. If she was okay."

Jesse didn't say anything.

"She's really worried about her. Jesse please." Aubrey said softly.

"If she was so worried then she would be calling herself. Actually she wouldn't call. She'd be looking for Beca but I guess it's hard to do that now that her boyfriend is here." Jesse lashed out.

Aubrey held her tongue. She didn't want Chloe to hear her conversation so she made her way out to the pool deck before she spoke again. "He's not here." Aubrey said quickly. "I don't know exactly what happened yet because Chloe's having a hard time getting it all out without breaking down into tears but she's worried about your friend. So, could you please just tell me if you've seen her and if she's okay." Aubrey tried to ask politely.

"What do you mean he's not there?" Jesse asked.

"He's gone." Aubrey replied. "Chloe sent him away. I don't know all the details but he's not here. That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Jesse lowered the phone when Beca walked into the living room of their small house. Her bag was thrown over her shoulder and she was glancing around for her things.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

Aubrey put a finger to her other ear so she could hear the conversation on the other end of the phone.

"Have you seen my wallet?" Beca asked as she looked around the room. She thought she'd tossed it on, "Never mind" she said finding it sitting on the table next to the back door. She tucked it into the small side pocket of her duffle bag before looking outside. "Tuck." She said loudly. "Let's go."

"Beca wait" Jesse pleaded. "Where are you going?" He asked.

Aubrey walked into the house quickly. "She's at the guest house but I think she's leaving." She announced to the group.

It took Chloe less than two seconds before she was on her feet and racing towards the front door. She pulled it open and ran as fast as she could towards the guesthouse. She hadn't been there in the last two days so she wasn't sure of the way but she ran towards it as fast as she could.

Jesse followed Beca outside waiting for her answer. "Beca will you just hold up a second. Where are you going?"

"I'm done here. I spoke with Amy and she confirmed it so I'm going home." She said as she tossed her bag into the back of her Jeep. "Plus we have other charters and now that Bumper is on this one, someone needs to supervise the other houses." She held the door open for Tuck who stood next to Jesse. "In the truck. Let's go." She snapped her fingers but the dog didn't move. He looked up at Jesse before turning back to his owner. "Now. Tuck." She commanded.

Tuck barked and then ran towards the old faded blue jeep. He jumped into the driver's side before finding his place in the back seat, laying across it like he knew he was supposed to do.

Chloe heard Tuck bark as she continued towards the guesthouse. She could see the front of the house but didn't see anyone or the dog.

Beca turned the Jeep over and drove away sending a cloud of dust and sand flying behind her.

"Beca wait!" Chloe called out as she saw the truck drive away.

She came to a stop next to Jesse who still had his phone in his hand and Aubrey on the other line. "She's gone." He said into the phone.

He turned to see the redhead standing next to him crying and breathing hard. "Oh my God. Chloe" He said grabbing her chin gently and tilting her head up towards him. "What happened?"

 **XxXxXx**

Amy walked into the rundown bar and looked around. It was after midnight and she and Jesse had been looking for Beca since she left the estate. It was the few remaining places she could think of to look and she felt relief wash over her when she saw her small friend sitting alone at the end of the bar. She made her way across the room slowly approaching her friend as if she were a wild jungle animal. She knew that if Beca caught sight of her too soon the chances of sending her running away again were high. She made eye contact with the bar tender who realized who she was walking towards. He made a motion across his throat signaling to Amy that he'd cut the brunette off from any more drinks. She took the last step and sat down slowly on the stool next to her friend. "Hey Shorty" Amy greeted softly. "I've been looking for you everywhere. We all have been."

Beca didn't move or speak. She just continued to look straight ahead.

"Beca?" Amy asked. "Will you speak to me please?"

"I ah" Beca cleared her throat. It had been a while since she opened her mouth to speak. "All the charters have eaten and are done for the night." Beca stated. "So I'm off. Thought I'd have a drink."

Amy nodded. "Right. Well. I've been calling you."

"I left my phone somewhere. My house maybe." Beca replied softly. "Sorry."

"Are you okay?" Amy asked. She hadn't seen Beca this depressed before. It was scaring her a little bit. She'd seen her in many emotional states. Happy. Pissed. Grumpy and even sad but she hadn't seen this before.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Beca asked turning towards her friend.

"No reason." Amy said quickly. Beca obviously didn't want to have a straight forward conversation about it so she played along.

"So did you get what you needed?" Beca asked.

Amy sat up straighter at the immediate change in topics. "Yes. Thank you." She answered quickly. She knew Beca didn't have the whole story but for some reason the small brunette didn't need it. She never asked any questions, she just gave Amy what she had requested. "I couldn't get EVO to get a plane here anytime soon and it was an emergency to get"

"It's fine Amy. It doesn't matter." Beca said quickly cutting her off. "Anytime you need the jet then use it. It was my father's and ... it doesn't matter. It's yours whenever you need it. I don't really need to know or ... care."

"It's your plane Beca. I'm always going to ask you." Amy said sincerely. She appreciated that Beca was generous with her fortune. It had allowed them to start the company and employ their friends and live in a beautiful place with little to no worries.

Beca nodded.

"I saw Chloe." Amy chanced. "She's worried about you shortstack. She didn't"

"It doesn't matter Amy." Beca sighed. "She didn't tell me. She" Beca looked at her friend with sad eyes, "I don't know. I thought she liked me but I guess she was just messing around. So it's fine. I am just being stupid."

"Messing around how?." Amy asked.

"She kissed me." Beca admitted. "It was kind of just spur of the moment so, I obviously just took it the wrong way." She lifted her glass to finish off her drink.

"What if you don't know the whole story Beca?." Amy asked gently.

Beca slammed the whiskey glass down on the bar top. "No." She said forcefully. "I don't want to talk about it. If you want to talk to me, you can talk to me about business. That's all."

 **XxXxXx**

"Any luck?" Chloe asked as Jesse climbed out of the SUV.

"No. I checked her apartment, Una Mas, a few bars we like" Jesse said with a tired sigh. "And she won't answer her phone. I've left her like 19 messages."

Chloe followed the man to the guesthouse. "Will you please give me her number? So I can call and explain." Chloe asked.

"It won't work Chloe. When Beca's done ... she's done." Jesse said stopping and turning towards the redhead. "This is what she does."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked not wanting to believe that Beca was done with her without even letting her explain.

"She runs." Jesse said simply. "She's a runner."

"A runner?" Chloe questioned.

"Yeah. When her parent's" Jesse stopped himself suddenly. He didn't know if Beca had shared those details with Chloe. His best friend was purposefully guarded and sharing those kind of details with someone she just met and barely knew was out of character for her.

"They died. I know. She told me." Chloe said as she crossed her arms across her chest to keep herself warm.

His jaw dropped slightly. He was shocked that Chloe knew. Shocked that Beca told her. That she trusted this stranger so quickly. He realized that where ever Beca was, she was hurting way more than he originally thought and by the looks of the redhead in front of him, she was hurting just as much. "When they died, she left New York. She ran to LA." Jesse began to explain. "When things weren't working out for me there, she convinced me to leave. We ran away and we ended up here. It's just how she is Chloe. For what ever reason, she trusted you and I don't know for the life of me why. She doesn't do things like that." Jesse said reaching to touch her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry."

Chloe dropped her eyes to the pavement and nodded her head slowly trying to understand. She looked back up at the man's brown eyes, "Okay. Well" She said, her voice thick with emotion, "when you see her will you please tell her that I'm so sorry? Please?"

Jesse nodded.

 **XxXxXx**

Amy swallowed hard. She had something to tell Beca and knew she was about to be pissed but it needed to be discussed. And it was about business.

"So I can't have Bumper back at the mansion. He um" Amy paused as she watched Beca slowly turn her head towards her. Her expression was scary. "He and Flo went out on a grocery run before dinner service and he got a few tacos from a stand on the street. Flo said she tried to stop him but he didn't listen. Anyway, he was plating dinner when it hit."

Beca's jaw slackened and her eyes widened as she tried to keep up with Amy's story.

"He threw up everywhere. All over the kitchen. On Flo and the servers." Amy shook her head. "Poor Benji" She mumbled.

"What happened to Benji?" Beca asked quickly.

"He slipped in it and fell. He broke his arm in two places. Donald just got him back home from hospital an hour ago." Amy recapped. Now that the event was over she was having trouble fighting back the smile that she knew would lead to so much laughter it would end in tears.

"No" Beca whispered as the smile began to appear on her face.

"Beca. Don't" Amy warned.

"I'm not" Beca said trying her hardest to keep a straight expression as tears filled her eyes.

"If you laugh, I'm going to laugh." Amy admitted trying to purse her lips together.

"I'm not" Beca said failing at holding back a smile. It only took a few seconds before both women were laughing hysterically. "Oh my God, it's not funny" Beca managed to squeak out in pieces.

"No. You're right. It's not." Amy agreed but couldn't stop laughing.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe rested her head against the shower wall, letting the hot water bounce off the top of her back and cascade down her body. The steam had fogged up the glass windows and she felt safe for the first time in hours inside her own little glass box. She was able to hide from everyone for the first time in hours and was emotionally stable enough to think about exactly what had happened that day.

She lifted her head up and let the rain shower head cover her face as tears continued to escape her eyes. Their time on the beach had been perfect. It was what Chloe wanted. It was how she had always imagined being with someone would be like. Easy and playful. Warm and safe. She'd wanted to bring Beca into her room and into her bed. She wanted that connection with the DJ. But when she saw Luke standing in the hallway looking into her room she froze. She couldn't believe he was there. She couldn't understand how he got there. When she heard Beca call out to her she ran back down stairs. Then she felt Luke's body pressed tightly against hers. She felt his arms tighten around her waist. She saw Beca's confusion in her eyes. Saw the hurt when Luke kissed her neck. Heard the heartbreak in her voice. She watched it all happen and didn't do anything to stop it. To ease Beca's pain.

After Beca left she finally pushed away from the man and that's how it started. She told him to leave. She told him she didn't want to be with him anymore. That's how she found herself picking herself up off of the floor after she told him there was someone else. She didn't think he would ever strike her. He had said mean and hurtful things to her in the past that left emotional scars but he'd never physically harmed her. That changed when she looked at herself in the mirror an hour later. After she called Amy to arrange for a driver other than Jesse to take him from away from the house. She didn't want Jesse to see her like that. She didn't want Jesse to tell Beca what happened. She waited with him for Donald who Amy said she would send immediately. She waited while he interrogated her. While he screamed at her. While he called her names. Disgusting names. Then she went to her room to try and clean herself up and before she knew it Aubrey was holding her face. Asking her what happened. She'd finally told her. She'd told them exactly what happened. She told them that she didn't know where Luke was. He was probably still in Cabo and would probably come back. And thank God for Aubrey who immediately called Amy and asked for help. She wasn't sure of the details but somehow Luke was flown out of Mexico on a private jet. He was gone and she felt safer but still a nervous wreck knowing she needed to explain everything to Beca. She needed to beg for forgiveness.

Chloe dropped her head back down and let the water rain over the top of her head again as she thought about Beca. Of course she wouldn't have any idea where to find a girl she'd met two days ago. The woman she felt so connected to after such a short period of time. So she asked her friends. Her best friend. But he couldn't find her. He went to her apartment. To the other homes they rented but he kept missing her. He called but she wouldn't answer her phone. So they enlisted Amy's help again. And Lily. But then Bumper ruined everything when he got sick all over the kitchen and living room. Jesse led the servers over to the guesthouse and hosed them off in the back with the water hose before letting them in the house. Donald was called in to take Benji to the hospital. Her friends were in their own rooms traumatized from what they saw. Stacie was covered in puke and Aubrey couldn't hold back. As soon as she saw it and smelt it she joined in. It was one of the worst things Chloe had ever seen but someway somehow she'd been spared. Jessica wasn't as lucky as she tried to help Stacie and CR was the smartest one of all. She ran away immediately. But that was hours ago and no one had spoken to Beca all day. And if they had, they weren't telling her.

Chloe reached forward and pushed the handle down causing the water to stop falling. She used her palm to wipe the steam away from the glass that had accumulated. She took a shaky breath as the realization that she may never see Beca again wash over her. But maybe she didn't deserve to.

 **XxXxXx**

"Hey" Jesse said into his phone as he sat in the same chair Beca was in earlier. Looking over the ocean. "I know you don't want to talk about it and I know you don't want to be found but can you just text me or something so I know you're okay?" He asked as he left another voicemail on his best friend's phone. He ended the call and shoved the phone in his pocket as he stood and turned to he enter the house. It had been a long day and he was exhausted. He jumped slightly at the figure sitting on the couch in the pitch dark house.

"Jesus" He said sharply, "Beca?"

* * *

 **AN: So I thought I made up the band name 'Hammersmith' but I didn't. Apparently there was a band named that in the 70s. That real band is in no way affiliated with Luke's band. It was just a coincidence. You guys are so awesome. I love all your little comments and notes. Please keep them coming, you have no idea how much they motivate me to continue.**

 **SONG TITLE CRED: Morgan Saint, You.**


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: WAIT, CAN YOU TURN AROUND? CAN YOU TURN AROUND? JUST WAIT, CAN WE WORK THIS OUT?

 **Day Three**

Beca stood at the counter cutting the pineapple into small bite size pieces. She'd already finished the kiwi and banana's and she glanced to her left at the strawberries that were draining in the colander. They were next. When she told Amy that she'd be okay returning to the mansion to cook, she thought it would be easy. But getting up that morning and actually stepping foot in that house was harder than she thought it would be which is why she was working quickly to make a simple greek yogurt with tandoori honey and fruit breakfast parfait to leave in the refrigerator for when everyone woke up. She froze when she felt a body crash into her from behind.

"Thank God your back."

Beca breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Flo's think accent.

"After last night, the last thing I want to do is see Bumper's face." Flo said as she squeezed her friend tightly. "Please never leave again."

Beca smiled for the first time that morning. "I'll do my best." She mumbled as she continued her cutting.

"So what's going on?" Flo asked releasing her grip.

Beca's blood ran cold. Of course no one else knew about what happened yesterday with Chloe and she really didn't want anyone too either.

"Was this on their list?" Flo asked. "Do you have to get to the other houses? Is that why you're here so early?"

Beca breathed a sigh of relief. Flo didn't know, which meant the chances of no one else knowing were high. She knew she could trust Jesse and Amy to keep it to themselves but she wasn't sure if or who Chloe had told. "Yeah. Yogurt was something they all listed as a favorite on their questionnaire." Beca said quickly. "I'm just going to throw it together and leave it in the fridge for when they wake up."

"Okay." Flo replied. "I'll make sure they know. Amy asked me to host since Benji's going to be out for a few days."

"Yeah, she told me." Beca smiled as she wiped the knife of pineapple juice and grabbed a handful of strawberries. "Thanks for doing that. For taking over for Benji."

"No problem boss." Flo said happily.

"What's with the eucalyptus leaves?" Beca said as she looked at what Flo held in her hand.

"Oh" Flo said waiving them in the air gently. "I brought them for Miss. Chloe."

 **XxXxXx**

Her eyes were heavy. She could tell they were swollen before she tried to open them. Was it from all the crying she'd done the previous day or from where Luke had smacked her, Chloe wasn't sure. She rolled onto her back slowly and worked to open them. Her face was sore as she blinked slowly. After a few minutes of silently laying looking up at the ceiling Chloe rolled over to the side of the bed and pushed herself up to sit on the edge. She reached down and wrapped the ends of Beca's flannel shirt around her tightly. When she got out of the shower the previous night she saw it laying on a chair in her bedroom where she'd placed it the night before. She didn't hesitate to put it on and wrap herself in Beca's smell. It was the only thing that helped ease her to sleep.

"That looks bad." Beca said softly from the chair behind the redhead. She'd been in that chair for a while waiting for Chloe to wake up. Ever since Flo had told her about the cut on her eye. Beca dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and ran upstairs in search of the room Chloe was staying in. She'd gotten a good look at it when the actress slept. Her first instinct was to leave her be, but as she walked back in the kitchen she took the eucalyptus from Flo and slowly walked back to Chloe's room. She quietly positioned the chair across from the foot of Chloe's bed and sat waiting for the redhead to wake up. She went over and over the short time she'd spent with Chloe. Over all the words they exchanged. All the glances. All the flirty gestures. The kiss on the beach. The fact that Chloe was asleep in her shirt. It was impossible to stop herself from thinking about it and equally as impossible to decipher what it all meant and if it in fact did mean anything … what did that mean? Beca sat with her thumb nail in between her teeth when Chloe rolled over. She waited but the redhead didn't see her so she spoke and now she was waiting for Chloe to respond.

Chloe wasn't sure if she was real. Maybe she was still asleep. No. She was awake. The pain that came from her face assured her she was awake and Beca was in her room. For the second time in two consecutive days, she was shocked. It was the last thing she expected when she went to sleep last night. To find Beca in her room.

Beca stood slowly and crossed the room coming to a stop in front of the redhead. She snapped the end of the leaf and spread a small amount of eucalyptus oil on her thumb. Beca placed the leaves down on the bedside table and turned back to Chloe.

Chloe's eye's closed slowly when she felt Beca's thumb gently brush over the cut on the corner of her left eye that Luke's ring had left. She reached up and grabbed Beca's wrist to keep her close.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Beca asked gently.

A tear escaped her eye as she shook her head and swallowed. "No." She responded softly and slowly opened her eyes. "I'm sorry." She apologized quickly. "I didn't know he was."

Beca back away from Chloe quickly forcing the redhead to release her wrist. "Chloe." Beca said firmly. "Please don't. You really don't have to explain." Beca said as she brushed the remaining oil on her pants.

"But I want to." Chloe countered.

"Really." Beca forced a smile. She thought she faked it pretty good. "It's not necessary. I just wanted to check on you." She held the smile for a minute too long before she started to feel creepy. "I got to go. But there's breakfast downstairs." She said as she clasped her hands in front of her. It was her go to professional stance. It was comfortable and she felt protected in this position.

"Beca, please." Chloe pleaded as she pushed herself from her bed and onto her feet.

"Since our other chef is out sick, I have to get to the other properties we have so I probably won't be back till dinner service but there is plenty of food in the house and Flo can manage in the kitchen if you all would like lunch." Beca said quickly. She was starting to lose her resolve and she knew she needed to keep their conversation on business and get out of that house as fast as possible because Chloe in her shirt and tiny shorts was doing something to her. Something she couldn't let happen again.

"Can I just talk to you for a second?" Chloe asked as she took as step towards the brunette.

Beca shook her head quickly. "I have to go." She said before turning and exiting the room. She passed Flo on the way out and told her she'd be in touch about dinner before she got in her jeep and left the mansion. She let out a breath of relief as she drove down the road away from the property. She glanced back into the rearview mirror, "Just a few more days." She said to herself. "You can make it a few more days." Her eyes said to herself in the mirror.

 **XxXxXx**

"Oh shit" CR said to herself as she saw the email from her office. She clicked on the link and was instantly redirected to a TMZ article. Her eyes read the article quickly as she cursed under her breath. "Fuck." She looked up to see Chloe across from her in the pool with Aubrey. They looked like they were deep in conversation. It was the first time that day that anyone was able to get Chloe out of her room and CR hated to interrupt them but she needed to speak to Chloe about this quickly.

She got up and walked across the pool with her phone in her hand. "Hey Chloe" She said loudly.

Their conversation stopped and Chloe looked back to CR quickly.

"I need to talk to you." She didn't mean for it to come out as negative as it was but that's how it came out and Chloe and Aubrey immediately knew something was wrong.

Chloe took a deep breath and waded through the water towards CR. Once out of the pool she picked up the towel she'd left close by and followed CR to the shaded area. "What's wrong?" Chloe asked as she tucked the towel around her chest. She pulled her sunglasses off so she could see what her friend was holding out to her.

"I'm sorry." CR said as Chloe's eyes read the headline. "We need to get something out about this and I need to know what you want to say."

Her head immediately fell into her hands. "Unbelievable" She mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Aubrey asked sitting next to Chloe.

"Luke went public." CR replied looking from Chloe to Aubrey.

"What are you talking about?" Aubrey asked.

CR handed over her phone.

"Chloe Got Caught." Aubrey read aloud. She looked up at CR and then back down to the phone in her hands. "The actress was recently caught cheating, by boyfriend Luke Chambers of 'Hammersmith', while on vacation. Mr. Chambers told our reporters that he went to Cabo to surprise his girlfriend of five years, who was supposed to be vacationing with her friends, only to find out that she was seeing someone else. Other sources confirm that Ms. Beale is in Cabo San Lucas and has been since Tuesday. Mr. Chamber's had just returned from Cabo when our reporters stopped him in the airport and it seems he couldn't wait to tell us what kind of a person Chloe Beale really is. We've reached out to Ms. Beale's management and are awaiting a reply. Ms. Beale was nominated for an Academy Award last year for her leading role in the psychological thriller 'Separated' but in real life has portrayed herself as the girl next door. Perhaps she's the best actress in Hollywood, seems she had us all fooled."

Aubrey was fuming. She handed the phone back to CR and turned to Chloe.

"People are going to be crawling all over Cabo to try to get a picture of you." CR said with a sigh. She knew a shit storm of unwanted media was coming Chloe's way. It was unavoidable now and it was just a matter of time before they figured out where the redhead was vacationing.

Chloe looked up and took a steadying breath. "He doesn't know it was Beca." She said softly. She was grateful for that. She knew her job choice came with certain drawbacks. People saying things about you, true of false, and putting them on the internet was one of the major drawbacks. But Beca did not sign up for that so as she sat listening to Aubrey and CR discuss options she could only be thankful that Beca was safe from the media's prying eye.

"I'm gonna call Amy and try to get a handle on security and what we can do to intercept as much of this as possible." Aubrey said as she stood to retrieve her phone from inside.

"What's going on?" Stacie asked as she and Jessica returned from their walk along the beach.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca walked into the guest house and immediately shed her chef's coat. She was exhausted. She'd been on her feet all day going from house to house to grocery store to house. Cooking, serving, cleaning, whatever she had to do to help out. She dropped the coat on the floor by the couch and fell back into it. She heard the front door open and close and then saw Tuck stop by her chef's coat on the floor, his nose glued to it. She felt the couch sag next to her as Jesse sat in a similar fashion.

"When did you get here?" He asked his eyes never leaving the ceiling as his head lay back on the edge of the sofa.

"Literally just now." Beca mumbled. "Thanks picking up Tuck."

"No problem." Jesse replied. "Now is one of those times when I wish we could just order pizza and sit on the fucking couch all night."

"Maybe we can." Beca said turning her head to him. "Wicked pizza delivers."

"Yeah but not this far out." He mumbled in return. "I'd have to go get it and I'm seriously tired of driving all over the place."

She slapped her hand on his leg a couple of times before standing up. "Call 'em. Pizza sounds so fucking good right now. I'll pay whatever it costs." Beca said as she bent over to pick up her jacket.

"And they say money can't buy happiness" Jesse teased.

"No" Beca said standing up. "It's the things money will buy that can make you happy." She smirked.

"Where are you going?" He asked following her with his eyes.

"See what's going on over there" She said hitching a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the other house, "for dinner." She opened a side door and tossed her jacket into the pile of dirty clothes. It was dirty and smelly and she wasn't wearing it. Her jeans and t-shirt were going to have to be formal enough. She was tired and just didn't give a fuck anymore.

"Want me to come with you?" Jesse offered.

"No. I'm too tired for any drama. I'm going to throw something together and get the fuck out of there as soon as possible." She slowly walked towards the door and called over her shoulder, "My wallet's on the counter. There's money in there. Get a bunch. I don't want to have to cook any more than necessary for the next few days. I want the Hawaiian."

"You got it." Jesse said loudly after the door slammed shut. He doubt she heard him but he wasn't going to get up anytime soon to follow after her. He turned to the dog seated on the floor looking up at him. He raised his eyebrow hopping that 4 years of training would finally pay off. "Tuck" He said in a commanding voice. The dog's ear's perked slightly. "Get the wallet." He said pointing towards the counter behind him. The dog didn't move usually only following Beca's commands. "Get the wallet Tuck." Jesse said authoritatively. He watched the dog disappear around the couch. Heard his paws scrape against the counyter and seconds later, Beca's wallet was dropped in his lap. "Good boy" he said rubbing the dogs head affectionately. "What kind of pizza do you want?" He asked Tuck. "Meat lovers? Me too." Jesse smiled at the white dog while reaching into his pocket, retrieving his phone and pulling up the number for the pizza place in town ready to beg them to deliver at least 20 minutes away, no matter what the cost.

Beca pushed the doors to the mansion open and made her way swiftly to the kitchen to see what she could pull together for the party of five. "Hey" Flo said joining her, "I thought I heard the door open."

"Hey" Beca mumbled.

"Long day?" Flo asked.

Beca nodded as she moved to the fridge to look inside.

"Here too." Flo whispered. "So much drama."

"Oh yeah?" Beca replied not really listening. She was on a mission to make dinner and get out of there.

"Yeah, apparently Chloe's boyfriend." Flo glanced around her to make sure they were still alone, "well, ex-boyfriend now was here yesterday at some point and they broke up because, get this, Chloe's cheating on him with somebody here."

Beca froze and not because her head was inside the refrigerator. "What?" She asked as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah. They've been on like damage control all day and Amy's out there with Lily and like all the security guys cuz they think Cabo is about to be bombarded with paparazzi trying to get a picture of Chloe and this dude." Flo dished clueless that it was actually Beca.

Beca stood up quickly and closed the door to the fridge. She looked back to the deck to see Amy, Lily and a bunch of guys surrounding what she thought was their house guests. She made her way out to the deck quickly.

Chloe sat up a little straighter when she saw Beca approached them. She bit her lip in anticipation of seeing the brunette for the first time since their brief encounter that morning and also the best nerves of having to tell her what was going on.

"What's going on?" Beca asked.

"Hey Becs." Amy said greeting her friend. "We're just strategizing here."

"Strategizing what?" Beca asked.

Chloe stood. "Can we talk?" She asked. "In private?"

Beca's eyes met hers quickly. She nodded and followed the redhead who weaved through the group and down towards the steps that lead to the beach. Chloe didn't stop walking until her toes hit the water. She pulled Beca's shirt around her tightly.

Beca groaned as she followed the actress all the way down the beach to the water. She was too tired for this. "What's going on?" She huffed as she finally made it to where Chloe was standing.

Chloe turned towards the chef. "I'm sorry about yesterday." Were the first words out of her mouth.

Beca rolled her eyes. "What's going on Chloe?" She asked again. She didn't come down here just to hear Chloe apologize again.

"His name is Luke Cham" Chloe began.

"I know who he is." Beca said quickly. "I really too tired for this Chloe so if this just going to be more apologizing then I'm gonna go back up to the house." Beca said quickly.

Chloe was determined to get everything out. So she continued dispite Beca's interruption. "He was my boyfriend. As of yesterday he's my ex-boyfriend."

Beca shrugged as if she didn't care in response.

"We've been having some trouble recently. Well, not recently. More like the last year has pretty much been horrible. We had a huge fight before I came here and I didn't expect him to follow me. And I know" Chloe said before Beca could interrupt her, "that's no excuse for not being honest with you from the beginning. I should have and I know that. It's just that when I'm with you … he doesn't exist." Chloe turned from Beca's dark eyes and towards the ocean. She was determined not to cry again. She swallowed down all the emotions and continued, "I should have told you and I'm sorry but I am not sorry for any" she turned back to Beca and said again, "any of the time I spent with you. I really like you. Like a lot. It's kind of frightening how much actually." She admitted.

Beca stood her ground, determined to not give Chloe an inch.

"Yesterday when I told him that there was someone else." Chloe sighed, "This happened." She motioned towards her face. "And he's back in LA and he already spoke to the press like the first chance he got. Told them that I was cheating on him while I was here." Chloe looked back up at the house momentarily. "It's just a matter of time before the press figures out where I am."

Beca's wheels were spinning with so many thoughts. Everything that happened yesterday floated through her mind like a dream as she pieced the puzzle together. "When did he leave?" She asked.

Chloe shrugged her shoulders quickly. "I called Amy right after our fight. Right after I told him. And that was like 20 minutes after you left." Chloe said thinking back. "She had someone named Donald pick him up because I didn't want Jesse to be involved in this mess more than he already was or is. Luke knows the name of the charter and Jesse gave him a ride so it's only a matter of time before he tells them if he already hasn't. CR thinks he probably did."

"No. That can't be right." Beca said turning back towards the house as her feet began moving.

"Beca wait. Where are you going?" Chloe called after her.

"Amy had someone flown out yesterday." Beca said over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know. Aubrey asked her to get him out of here as soon as possible." Chloe said as she trudged through the sand after Beca.

"That was my plane." Beca said coming to a stop.

"What?" Chloe asked stopping right before she bumped into the brunette.

"That was my plane. Amy said it was an emergency. I didn't ask who it was for." Beca said quickly.

"Lux Cabo's plane?" Chloe asked.

"No. My plane. In my name. Just like this house." Beca replied. "It's only a matter of time before they figure out you're here." Beca turned back quickly and ran towards the house and up the stairs the overwhelming need to protect Chloe overtaking her own feelings.

Chloe followed behind Beca and reached the group just after she did.

"It was Luke." Chloe heard Beca say to Amy.

"What?" Amy asked.

"That you flew out on my plane. That's who it was. Right?" Beca asked.

"Yeah Beca it was." Amy replied slowly. "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you."

"No, I'm not mad. I'm glad you got him out of here." Beca said quickly. "After what he did to Chloe, he doesn't need to be anywhere near her." Beca added. She didn't mean to let it slip out of her mouth but it did. She shook it off and continued. "The press will eventually find out how he flew back to LA. And they will find out that I own that plane. And then they'll find out that I own this house."

Amy caught on. "And then they will know exactly where to start looking for you and they will find her." Amy said quickly pointing between Beca and Chloe.

"Exactly." Beca agreed. She felt the body heat next to her but she didn't need to turn around to know that Chloe was standing close to her.

"The house is too wide open. A long camera lens could get a photo of you guys." Lily said quietly. Almost a whisper.

"Huh?" Beca asked as everyone around the group instinctively leaned forward. The head of security rolled her eyes and repeated herself.

"All the other properties are rented." Amy said trying to think of a solution. "And if they find you, they will eventually find all the Lux Cabo employee's. So our apartments are out."

"The guest house." Lily said a little louder so everyone could hear her the first time.

"She's right" Beca agreed. "It only has a few windows and people would have a hard time getting a good photo. But it's small. Only three small bedrooms and one bathroom."

"Okay, so" CR joined the conversation. "Chloe moves over to the guest house for the next couple of days until we can get out of here and back to LA without getting anyone else involved in this mess." She made eye contact with Beca.

"The property does have a boundary fence so it should keep people off the property. They'd have to come through the gate to get in and we're not expecting anyone else." Lily added.

"Shit" Beca said loudly. She pushed through the crowd and back through the house and out the front door. She ran over to the guesthouse and busted through to see Jesse still sitting on the couch.

"Hey. Pizza should be here soon." Jesse said looking over his shoulder at his best friend. "Because of my sweet talking it only cost you a 100 buck delivery fee."

"Go meet them as far down the road as you can." Beca ordered.

"What? Why?" Jesse asked. "They can come to the gate."

"No. Go meet them right now." Beca said loudly. "Just do it Jesse please."

"Geez. Okay." Jesse groaned as he slowly stood from the couch.

"And bring it back to the mansion when you come back!" She called out as he climbed into the SUV. He gave her a thumbs up as he climbed inside. She watched him exit the property and watched the gate swing closed before she walked back into the house and out by the pool where eyes were on her waiting for an explanation. "Jesse ordered pizza so I had him go down the road to meet the delivery person." She explained.

"No one will deliver this far out Shawshank." Amy said.

"It's a long story." Beca said quickly ignoring the questioning eyes of the group at the mention of one of Amy's many nicknames for her. "I think Chloe and someone else should stay at the guest house. It's comfortable with two people but all five of you will be too tight of a fit. Everyone else can move over here."

"That's a good idea." Amy agreed.

"And we can figure out a way to get out of here without all of the press knowing." Aubrey added. "But I don't think we should go to LA. It will be too crazy and you'll hate it. You don't really have anything until you have to be in New Zealand so you can just kind of disappear for a while." The blonde suggested.

"Will you stay with me?" Chloe asked softly.

All of the heads in the group looked to see that she was looking directly at Beca.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Beca said quickly shooting down Chloe's idea.

"Why not?" Chloe asked.

"Actually, it's a great idea." Amy said quickly. All the head's snapped in her direction. "When they get your name, they will know where your apartment is. They'll know you DJ at Mas. They will know where all the properties are. This is the only one that's gated and the guest house is the only relatively private location. They will be looking for you to get to her so you might as well hide in the same place."

"She's right" Lily agreed.

"What's going on?" Jesse asked as he walked out onto the pool deck carrying five boxes of pizza.

"Beca. Please?" Chloe asked again.

* * *

 **AN: Hmmmm... what do you think Beca should do? What should happen next? Thanks for all the love for this fic, I'm really enjoying writing it. Please keep sending your reviews and comments.**

 **Song Title Cred: Maroon 5, Wait**


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8: I KNOW THAT YOU'RE WEARY OF ME, CAREFUL OF ME

 **Night four**

"Are you sure about this?" Aubrey asked as she watched Chloe pack her clothes in her suitcase.

"Not really" Chloe sighed. She didn't think Beca would actually agree to stay in the guesthouse with her. Just the two of them but now as she packed her suitcase she was nervous. The brunette didn't want to hear her apologies down at the beach and now they would be in a small place together.

"Do you want me to stay with you? I can tell them you changed your mind." Aubrey offered.

"No." Chloe said standing up straight to stretch her back that was tight from bending over. "I need to talk to her and this will be the best way for me to get to do that."

"By trapping her?" Aubrey asked slightly sarcastically.

"Yes" Chloe said with a nod.

There was a lull in the conversation when Chloe disappeared into her bathroom to back up her cosmetic case. She was glad to be out from under the judgmental eyes of her best friend. She stopped packing the small case when she heard Aubrey's voice from the bedroom. "So this is Beca's house?"

"It is." Chloe answered once she exited the bathroom with her personal items.

"And she has a private jet?" Aubrey questioned.

This time Chloe didn't answer.

"You knew?" The blonde asked.

"About the house … yes." Chloe said as she placed her case inside the suitcase. "The plane. No."

Aubrey didn't need to say anything, Chloe could feel her thoughts before she made them. "Does that change your opinion of her? Now that you know she's got money and that she's not just some beach bum?"

"Not at all." Aubrey answered quickly. "Actually, now … I have more questions."

"Well …if she lets me apologize and gives me another chance, maybe you'll get the chance to ask your questions." Chloe said shooting a glare at her friend before returning to packing her suitcase.

"If she doesn't want to listen Chloe, you shouldn't force her." Aubrey said sternly. "Maybe it's for the best that this all happened."

"What?" Chloe questioned quickly as she turned towards her best friend. "Why would you say that?"

"Because Chloe. We need to get back to real life. Not day dream beach fantasies of millionaires that will never be. It's probably best that it's over before anything really got started." Aubrey said softly hoping her friend would listen to reason.

"You don't even know Beca." Chloe said in the chef's defense.

"You right." Aubrey quickly agreed. "I don't."

"You don't understand Bree." Chloe mumbled as she zipped her suitcase and pulled it from the bed.

"And Beca does?" Aubrey questioned.

 **XxXxXx**

"Are you sure about this?" Jesse asked as he crumpled his t-shirt and stuffed it into his backpack.

"Not at all" Beca said as she sat on the end of his bed.

"You could tell them that you changed your mind." Jesse suggested.

Chloe's pleading eyes flashed in front of her eyes. She didn't know what possessed her to give into the request to stay at the guesthouse with the actress but she did. Her resolve crumbled quickly with one looking into those baby blues.

"I'll be fine. It's just for a day or so until they can make some plans and get out of here." Beca reasoned hoping beyond hope that everything would go smoothly.

"Okay" Jesse sang as he threaded his arm through the strap and slid the pack on his back. "You stay here in this shithole with the girl that shredded your heart after two days and I'll go live in paradise with one of the hottest girls on the planet." He smiled thinking of Stacie.

She was not one ounce jealous of Jesse. Sure Stacie was pretty, so was Aubrey, Jessica and CR but they didn't compare to Chloe. She shook the thought out of her head quickly as she followed him out of the room and towards the door.

He opened the door only to be standing face to face with Chloe, her hand suspended in the air apparently ready to knock.

Chloe cleared her throat. "Hey" She said softly.

"Have fun." Jesse said turning back to Beca as he brushed past Chloe who looked startled by his sudden change in personality.

"I know I'm not his favorite person" Chloe said standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Come in." Beca said refusing to reply to her comment. "I'm sorry the place is so messy but it will just have to do. Flo's crew didn't have a chance to clean up over here and Amy's not bringing any staff that aren't already here over and they are all staying over there so it's just you and me.

"No. It's fine Beca." Chloe said quickly. "Thank you."

"Yeah, um." Beca felt the awkward tension between them and with the way Chloe was gripping her hands tightly together she knew the redhead was feeling it too. "You can stay in Benji's room. It's the cleanest and he really only stayed in there a couple of times before he broke his arm. Jesse's room is a mess and my room is"

"You're room" Chloe said with a smile. "Where is it? Just so I know?"

"Across the hall from Benji's." Beca answered as she led Chloe down the hallway. "From yours." She corrected. "And this is the bathroom." Beca said pushing open the door and flipping on the light. It was nothing like the bathroom she showered in last night but it was nice. Homey. The guesthouse reminded her of the house she grew up in. "Here's your room." Beca said stopping at the door.

Chloe stood across from her trying to think of what to say. Where to begin.

"There's pizza if you're hungry." Beca said looking down at her shoes unwilling to feel the pressure of Chloe's eyes on her anymore. "If you don't want pizza I can make you something. We have some food here." Beca offered.

"Pizza's great." Chloe smiled. "Let me just" she hitched her thumb over her shoulder towards the bedroom.

"Yeah, sure. No problem. See you ... see you out there." Beca stammered. She rolled her eyes to herself as she walked down the hallway away from the redhead who watched her with a charmed smile.

 **XxXxXx**

Beca sat on the small couch with her feet kicked up on the coffee table and her laptop sat on her stretched out legs. When she opened the top, Jesse's Netflix account was still displayed. She'd thought Chloe was just going to put her bag down and come and eat but that was 20 minutes ago. She took one more glance down the hallway before typing Chloe's name into the search bar. Her thumb hovered over the enter key as she tried to decide if it was worth it. "Fuck it" Beca mumbled to herself as she pressed the button quickly. Beca read through the titles of the 5 movies that popped up.

"I thought you didn't like movies?" Chloe questioned teasingly from behind.

Beca slammed the lid to her computer down quickly and pushed it off her lap. "I was just gonna look at something on the internet and I guess Jesse was looking at Netflix earlier. I wasn't just" She started denying quickly, "I wasn't just"

"It's fine Beca." Chloe said soothingly. She'd noticed the titles of the films. They were all hers. "It's okay to be curious about me." Chloe smiled. "I'm curious about you."

"I'm not curious." Beca lied. "It's Jesse's account."

"Oh. Okay" Chloe conceded.

"I um put my sheets and blanket in the washing machine for you. I thought they'd be better than using Benji's. At least you'll know they are clean." Beca said as she went into the small side room to check the time on the washer. "I'll throw them into the dryer in a bit."

"You didn't have to do that." Chloe said as she walked around the couch and sat down on the end farthest from where Beca had been sitting. "What will you sleep on?"

"I'll just use the mattress. It's fine." Beca said pulling open the handle to the fridge and grabbing the six pack of beer that was inside. She picked up the pizza box from the counter and made her way back to the couch, sitting in the spot she was previously in, on the opposite side from Chloe. "Beer?" She offered.

"Pizza and beer." Chloe smiled as she took the bottle Beca was holding out for her. "My favorite."

"Really?" Beca laughed. "You don't seem like a pizza and beer type of girl."

Chloe bit her lip. "What kind of girl do I seem like?" She asked playfully.

"I don't know" Beca said quickly thinking it may be better to keep her opinion to herself.

"No." Chloe replied. "Tell me. What kind of girl do you think I am?" She asked desperate to hear Beca's take on her.

"Expensive wine. Designer dresses. Fine caviar. Vintage jewels. 6 course meals …" Beca listed slowly as she pulled the pizza box open. She knew that wasn't true. She knew with even the little that she did know of the actress she wasn't any of those things. She paused and decided to address the elephant in the room. No more dancing around the issue. Just lay it on the table, "asshole boyfriends who slap her around type of girl." As soon as the words left her mouth she wished she could have rephrased or taken it back all together. She saw Chloe's grin drop.

"Well" Chloe breathed. She'd thought Beca was teasing. She'd thought that they were getting back to being comfortable with each other. Until the last comment. "I'm gonna just go to my room." Chloe said softly as she began to push herself up from the couch.

"I'm sorry" Beca said quickly. She looked up at Chloe with her dark blue eyes. "Please. Just stay. Eat something. That was" Beca shook her head at herself, "so mean and I'm sorry."

Chloe stood motionless. Beca's words hurt her and she was unsure of what to do.

"Pancakes." Beca whispered. "Classic movies. Vintage records." Beca began listing as she looked up at the redhead. "Big straw hats …"

A smile broke out on Chloe's face. She could feel her heart beating quickly as she looked down at Beca who continued. "Dogs. Not cats."

Chloe giggled. She found herself sitting down slightly closer to the chef.

"And pajama's all day on Sunday's." Beca finished with a smile finally needing to break eye contact with Chloe. "That's the kind of girl I think you are." She whispered.

Chloe bent forward and reached for a slice of pizza, she pulled back with a smile "and Hawaiian pizza is my favorite" She added before placing the tip in her mouth.

 **XxXxXx**

"What do you think is going on over there?" Stacie asked as she stood on the balcony of Chloe's former room looking over towards the guest house. "Think they've killed each other yet?" She smirked, "or they could be fucking?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes and chose not to answer.

The lack of response made her turn back towards the blonde. "What's wrong?" Stacie asked.

"Nothing." Aubrey said defensively.

"Oh come on Bree." Stacie laughed. "There is definitely something up with you." She walked into the bedroom and sat on the bed next to her friend. "What's going on?"

"I just think" Aubrey paused as she looked up at Stacie, "I just think this is a bad idea for Chloe." She admitted. "That she's bad for Chloe."

"Why?" Stacie asked her eyebrows furrowed together.

Aubrey shrugged her shoulders. "I just don't think it's in her best interest."

Stacie leant back. "And you think Luke was?" She huffed.

"No" Aubrey said quickly. "But" She stopped when she saw the look on Stacie's face. "Never mind."

"No Aubrey. Finish what you were about to say." Stacie said slightly angry but it faded quickly when she had a thought, "wait. Do you like Chloe?" She asked. "Like, you know … like her?"

"What?" Aubrey gasped. "No. No" She repeated and shook her head. "She's my best friend."

"And you love her?" Stacie questioned.

"Oh my God Stacie. Stop" Aubrey said as they both burst into laughter. "I just think" Aubrey said after the laughing died down, "That this isn't the right relationship for her."

Stacie wiped a tear from her eye. "Why not?" She asked.

"Well, for one. Because she literally just got out of an high publicized long term relationship that didn't go so great." Aubrey answered.

Stacie nodded. There was that and that was a valid point. "And two, we just happen to come to Cabo and run into a well to do chef, who sometimes DJs, who has caught the attention of one of the hottest actresses in the world, who didn't know who she was the moment she laid eyes on her?" Aubrey questioned. "I just don't buy it." She shrugged. "Why is Beca just biding her time here? Cooking for people when she owns this house? When she owns her own plane? Who is a classically trained chef? What's she running from? What's she hiding from?"

Stacie hadn't thought of it that way. She'd only seen the way they looked at each other. She'd only seen how they seemed to make each other happy. Giddy. Before Luke showed up.

 **XxXxXx**

"No" Chloe sighed heavy into the phone. "Really Mom. I'm fine." She said trying to sound conviencing. "I just wanted to give you a heads up. I figured you probably hadn't seen the headlines yet but it's only a matter of time before you do." Chloe turned when she heard the front door open. She gave a weary smile to the brunnette who gently kicked the door closed behind her as she carried two more six packs of beer in her hands. "What?" Chloe asked when she missed what her mom had just asked her. "You know how it is Mom. There's some truth behind it but it's not like it sounds."

Beca quirked an eyebrow as she headed straight for the kitchen to give the actress some privacy in the small house.

"I didn't" Chloe paused, "cheat." She said softly. "But, I did meet someone here."

Beca blushed. She stood and closed the refrigerator and turned to look for her dog. "Tuck" She whispered. "Let's go."

Chloe twisted the opposite direction and watched as Beca avoided eye contact with her and made a straightline for the back door, Tuck following right behind her.

"I don't know if it will last but, I hope it does." Chloe replied to her mother.

Beca closed the glass door behind her as Tuck took off into the night. She stood on the porch with her hands in the pockets of her jeans waiting for him to come back.

"She's a chef." Chloe said as she watched Beca stand outside looking out into the darkness. "No, she's not famous. She's just a regular person." Chloe hadn't planned on telling her mother about Beca, she had only wanted to tell her that some stories were going to come out. She only wanted to warn her that she'd probably be seeing her daughters face on the latest tabloid magazine the next time she was in the grocery store. But her mom was curious. She wanted to know about this person Chloe was reportedly having an affair with. She knew Chloe wasn't a cheater but she also knew that Chloe and Luke's relationship had been rocky as of late. And although she'd know that Chloe was interested in women, that wasn't something the world knew. Only her, her husband and Chloe's closest friends.

"And you like her enough to tell the world that your bi?" Claire, Chloe's mother, asked. "That's alot to put on one person honey. Especially one that you just met. And one who's not already famous, because something like this..."

Chloe knew her mom was right she didn't even need to finish her sentence. She leaned back into the couch as her mom continued.

"will make her the center of attention. Everyone will want to know every single thing about her." Claire said gently. "Is she ready for that?"

"Probably not." Chloe conceeded. "It doesn't really matter right now mom because she's pretty pissed at me."

"Why?" Claire asked.

Chloe sighed, "Cuz I didn't tell her about Luke. She found out when he showed up."

Beca heard Tuck barking in the distance. She whistled as loud as she could and called for him but the barking continued. "Tuck, Let's go dude!" She yelled again. The barking stopped and she could see him racing back towards the house. A few seconds later and the dog was sitting down at her feet looking up at her. Beca hoped that Chloe's conversation with her mother was over as she slowly turned back to the house.

"Yeah" Chloe said to her mom as Beca opened the door up and Tuck ran into the house. "I'll call you tomorrow." Chloe said quickly. "Tell Roger I said hello. Love you too." Chloe said before disconnecting the call and setting the phone on the couch next to her.

Beca walked through the house and to the kitchen. Once she heard Chloe said bye to her mom she asked, "Beer?"

"Sure" Chloe replied as Tuck came up and sat at her feet placing his head on her knees. She leaned forward and grabbed his face with both her hands placing a kiss on the top of the dogs head. "Good boy" she whispered.

Beca was curious as she rounded the couch and sat down with a plop. "Roger?" She asked as she handed over a beer to Chloe who took it with a smile.

"Stepdad" Chloe answered.

Beca nodded as she placed the bottle to her lips.

"Where did you get Tuck?" She asked making light conversation hoping it would lead to heavier topics.

"I found him." Beca answered. "I was driving to meet the contractors for another property that we have" And by 'we', Chloe now knew Beca meant 'her'. "And he was on the side of the road. Just sitting there, like he was waiting for someone to come back for him. The vet said some asshole probably dumped him." Beca shrugged.

Chloe's natural smile fell into a frown.

"Well the vet said someone dumped him." Beca corrected, "I added the asshole part." She smirked causing Chloe's heart to flutter.

"So, where does your mom live?" Beca asked thinking she was keeping the conversation light. "What's wrong?" She asked when Chloe's expression saddened.

"I feel guilty talking about my family." Chloe admitted softly.

"Why?" Beca asked quickly.

"Because of your parents." The actress replied. "I don't know what I'd do without my mom and you don't ..."

Beca interrupted her, "It's okay." Beca said sweetly. She reached forward and placed a gentle hand on Chloe's leg for all of two seconds before she had to pull it away. "I want to know about your family."

"You do?" Chloe asked with her eyebrows raised.

Beca nodded.

"Why?"

"I guess" Beca swallowed trying to buy herself some time. "Because I want to know ... more about you." Beca knew she was blushing at the admission so she raised her cold beer and took a long drink to buy herself some time. "And you've already met my crazy family" She said referring to Jesse, Fat Amy, Flo and Lily. "So spill it Chloe Beale."

Chloe smiled. She liked the sound of her name coming from Beca's mouth.

"Wait!" Beca said loudly. "Is Chloe your real name? Or is it just a stage name and your real name is something like Francis or Margaret?" Beca asked quickly trying to keep herself from laughing but was unable to fight it off when Chloe's head flew back as she errupted in the sweetest sound Beca had ever heard.

 **XxXxXx**

A few hours later and Chloe waited while Beca went to check on the laundry. "Here you go." Beca said walking out of the small room with warm bed sheets in her arms. "All clean."

Chloe smiled as she stood from the couch and rounded it. "Thank you." She said sincerely taking the ball of linens from Beca.

"Of course." Beca said backing away slowly.

They stood for a few seconds looking at each other, each unsure if they should say what was on their minds.

Beca decided against it and quickly turned the conversation into something different. "I'm just gonna clean up and then go to bed. It was a long day before all of this happened so I'm kind of beat."

Chloe nodded quickly. "Oh. Yeah of course."

Beca smiled gently as she walked the long way around the room back towards the sofa and coffee table. Chloe watched her close the lid to the pizza box and gather the few empty beer bottles in her hand.

"I'll just see you in the morning then?" Chloe said somewhat questioningly.

"Okay." Beca replied as she made her way back to the kitchen.

"Good night Beca." Chloe whispered.

Beca felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up instantly. She placed the pizza box on the counter along with the empty bottles that clanged when they came into contact with the surface. "Goodnight" She looked up momentarily to the bright blue eyes looking back at her from across the room. She watched Chloe smile and then turn and walk away, disappearing down the hallway. Beca pressed her palms flat against the counter top and leaned her weight down, dropping her head as she took a deep breath.

Chloe dropped the fresh linen's on the chair in her room. She went to the bed and pulled off Benji's sheets, balling them up and tossing them to the floor. A few minutes later and she was just tucking the corner of the top sheet under the mattress when she heard Beca's voice and a muffled bark. She poked her head out of her room to hear Beca calling for him to go to the restroom. Chloe backed into the room and dropped onto the edge of the bed bouncing slightly. She let out a deep breath. Their night had been okay. They talked about different things. Nothing important. Luke was only mentioned the one time and then neither woman brought him back up even though it was on the tip of Chloe's tongue the whole night. She wanted to explain to Beca. Wanted to see the forgiveness in the chef's eyes. She was startled from the sound of the door closing and the patter of four feet, nails tapping across the floor, heading her way. The dog appeared in the doorway and sat, looking at her expectedly.

"Tuck" Beca said warningly. The dogs head twisted around to the right towards his master.

"Sorry" Beca said as she came to a stop right behind him. "He's being nosy."

"It's okay." Chloe smiled.

"Are you okay in here?" Beca asked. "Do you need anything?"

Chloe shook her head softly. "No. I'm okay." She whispered. "Thank you." She smiled. "Thank you for everything. You didn't have to do all of this … any of this."

"I'll just be" Beca pointed her thumb behind her, "just right … in there." She said taking two steps back. She turned and walked into her room and stopped suddenly turning her head back to Chloe who was still sitting on her bed. "You're welcome Chlo" Beca said softly unsure if it was loud enough for Chloe to hear.

Chloe watched Beca disappear into her room and then call for the dog who stood and turned quickly disappearing somewhere inside the room. Seconds later Chloe heard the sounds of Beca's bed springing and then the sight of the room going dark.

 **XxXxXx**

"Lay down Tuck" Beca found herself saying for the 4th time that night. She'd been lying in bed trying to fall asleep but it seemed every time she was close to finally drifting off to sleep the dog would get up or he would walk around the room. The sound of his nails on the wood floor making her eyes instantly pop open. He usually wasn't like this. He would usually curl up in his bed and not make a sound but tonight he was restless, just like she was. Beca was laying on her side, her eyes feeling heavy when the sound of his tag rattling against his collar startled her. She rolled forward slightly letting her face fall into the corner of her pillow when the sound of his tail beating rhythmically against the wall started she rolled back quickly. "Go to sleep" Beca growled in a low intimidating voice.

Her eyes popped open when she heard a faint whisper. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Beca turned her upper body around to see Chloe retreating back into the darkness. "Wait Chloe." Beca said quickly. She saw Chloe stop. "I didn't know it was you." Beca rattled off, "I was talking to Tuck."

Chloe turned so that she was standing half in the hallway and halfway in Beca's room, her left hand sliding up the doorframe as she leaned against it. "I couldn't sleep."

Beca pushed herself up on her elbows as she looked up at the redhead.

"Just nervous I guess." Chloe whispered.

"Nervous?" Beca asked.

"Just about everything that's going on." Chloe said softly. She pushed herself off the doorframe and took a tentative step into Beca's room. "The press can be relentless."

Beca didn't reply. She just listened. She watched Chloe enter her room. She watched the actress try to decide if she was allowed to sit down. She watched as Chloe made a decision and sat slowly on the very edge, purposefully giving Beca space.

"I'm just afraid of all the things they will say about me." Chloe admitted.

"Why do you care?" Beca asked, her voice gravelly.

Chloe shrugged. "Sometimes I don't". She looked to Beca who remained propped up on her elbows. "But" Chloe rubbed her chin nervously, "I don't think anyone likes when people says mean things about them. Especially to millions of people who don't know me. The real me." Chloe smiled gently. "But not just mean things. Untrue things."

Beca nodded slowly as she listened to Chloe. She could see the vulnerability in the woman.

"I'm sorry. Go back to sleep … I'm just being" Chloe shook her head, "I don't know a wimp or something." Chloe stood from the bed and chanced one more look down at Beca who was just staring at her. She took a step and heard Beca's voice.

"Do you want?" Beca began to ask slowly not even sure of why she was making the offer "to stay in here? With me?"

Chloe looked from Beca's eyes to the full size bed and smiled. "You don't have any sheets or anything."

Beca looked away from the actress and down at her bed. No sheets. No blanket. Just her sweat pant clad legs that were crossed together to keep warm. "No. I don't" Beca answered with a smirk. She turned her head back up to Chloe who slowly walked out of her room and assumingly across the hall. Beca laid herself back down and rolled back to her side when she heard the sound from across the hall of Chloe getting back in bed. She let out a deep breath and crossed her arms tightly across her chest, closing her eyes.

"Wanna share mine?" Chloe whispered.

Beca's head snapped back quickly towards the door. Chloe didn't wait for a reply as she spread Beca's blanket, the blanket Beca washed and gave to her earlier that night, over the bed. Half of it landing on Beca. She watched as Chloe put a knee up on her bed. The springs squeaking slightly as the actress crawled up and laid herself down next to her. Beca rolled back over and held her breath.

"Thank you." Chloe whispered as she turned her head to the right to see the back of Beca's head.

Beca slowly released the breath she was holding. "Umm hmmm" She hummed.

Tuck had calmed down and was breathing soundly. She was finally warm now that Chloe had brought her blanket back. And she was getting used to the thought that Chloe was just on the other side of her. It took a little while but she was finally able to decipher the difference between Tuck's deep breaths and Chloe's. Both having seemed to fall asleep and now it was her turn. Beca took a deep relaxing breath and let her eyes close, finally resolved to rest. Her breath hitched when the bed jostled. She felt Chloe's warm hand on her arm. Her fingers gently closing around her bicep and then something pressing up against her back, right between her shoulder blades. She turned her head slowly only to see red hair flowing behind her. Chloe's head was pressed up against her and surprisingly Beca was okay with it. She turned back away from the actress and let herself relax and finally fall asleep.

* * *

 **AN: Progress maybe? Hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Let me know, I'd love to hear from you.**

 **Title Song Cred: Olivver the Kid, BBBlue**


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9: I HOPE FOR BETTER DAYS AND LATELY TIMES ARE TOUGH

 **Day four**

Beca's legs thrashed quickly as she gathered up the blanket with her feet and kicked it off of her. She was hot. So hot she had a thin layer of sweat covering her chest. She stopped suddenly when she remembered that Chloe was next to her. She laid still for a few seconds before glancing over her shoulder to the empty mattress and then picking up her head, looking down at Tuck's bed, which was also empty. Beca rolled over landing heavily on her back as she gathered her strength and getting up.

"Chloe?" Beca called out when she entered the living room. She looked to her left to see the back door open and made her way out there. "Chlo?" She called again as she stepped outside of the house. It was a beautiful morning in Cabo. The breeze was blowing off the ocean and the sun was shining bright, the rays dancing off the water. Beca stood outside letting the sun fall down on her face and arms, it was warm and felt perfect with the mixture of the cool breeze. She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her sweat pants and closed her eyes, lifting her head towards the sun. She didn't hear Chloe come through the front door with Tuck right behind her. She didn't know the actress was standing next to her until she felt soft lips on her cheek.

"Good morning" Chloe said smiling as Beca turned to face her. "I made you coffee." She held out the mug for the chef who slowly took it obviously surprised at the kiss. Chloe smiled brightly. "And breakfast."

Beca finally snapped out of it. "You made me breakfast?" She questioned playfully with a hand to her chest.

"Yeah." Chloe answered with a wink. The redhead turned and walked back into the house.

Beca watched her walk away and found herself slowly following after the actress. But stopped when Chloe pointed at the sofa and instructed her to sit down. She did as she was told, sipping on her fresh hot coffee as she waited. Chloe reappeared with a large plate and two forks. She sat down right next to Beca and sat the plate on her lap.

"You made this?" Beca questioned looking at the plate that balanced on Chloe's legs.

Chloe nodded affirmatively. "As a thank you."

Beca questioned her with her eyes.

"For last night. For staying with me. For being there." Chloe said holding out a fork for Beca to take. "Let's eat while it's still warm."

Beca accepted the fork as she leaned forward and sat her coffee mug on the table. "What is it?" She asked. "She knew it was crepes but she wanted to hear Chloe tell her about it."

"Well, my grandmother loved to cook. She would make crepes all the time and this is one of her recipes. It's stuffed with some sautéed spinach, red onion and some feta cheese I found next door." Chloe said as she cut into the crepe causing the egg yolk to bust. "I folded up four and then cracked an egg in the middle and then put it in the pan." Chloe smiled as she lifted the fork and placed the food in her mouth. Beca watching her closely.

"Just like grandma used to make?" Beca questioned.

Chloe nodded happily.

Beca smiled and positioned her fork to cut off a piece from the opposite corner as Chloe. She gathered up the crepe and some egg on her fork and put it in her mouth. She smiled as Chloe watched her. Waited for her opinion. Beca chewed and swallowed. "It's good." She admitted with a kind smile.

"Really?" Chloe shrieked.

Beca nodded. "Yeah. It really is."

Chloe squealed happily and leaned back on the couch throwing her arms up in triumph.

"You're so weird." Beca mumbled as she returned her fork to the plate for more.

 **XxXxXx**

CR entered the dining room, pulled the chair out, and sat down heavily.

"Good morning?" Stacie questioned as she sipped her coffee.

CR shook her head negatively. "Not good. I was up all night trying to get in front of this." She mumbled. "I need coffee."

Stacie slid her mug over to CR. "Here. Start with this." She smiled. "Since Beca and Chloe are playing house we are on our own this morning."

CR took the hot caffeine happily.

"I'll get some more and be back. Then you can explain." Stacie said standing from the table and leaving the room. She passed Aubrey on her way in who took a seat next to CR, the blonde looking equally as exhausted.

"I saw." Aubrey mumbled just as Stacie returned to the dining room with several mugs and the coffee carafe.

"Saw what?" Stacie asked.

"Someone got a picture of Beca and Chloe standing on the beach last night." CR answered. "It was obviously taken from a boat and it wasn't the best quality but it was sold to TMZ and it's the lead story on their website this morning." CR explained. "And they already have Beca's name. They know everything about her."

Aubrey nodded along as CR spoke while Stacie was opening up TMZ on her phone to look at the photo.

"Oh whatever." She said loudly. "This is so grainy. You can barely make out that it's Chloe and you can only tell that because of her hair. You can't even see Beca's face clearly."

"Doesn't matter. Now they've linked them together. They know it was Beca's plane that Luke was on. They know its Beca's house that she's staying at. And now they have a shot of them standing on the beach together. So…" Aubrey sighed.

"I need to talk to Amy and Lily when they get up. See if we can do anything about pictures being taken from boats." Aubrey said to no one in particular.

"I need to talk to Chloe." CR groaned not looking forward to the conversation with the actress. After spending much of the evening on the phone with her PR associates, they'd decided that it was in the actress's best interest to release a statement and to release a photo of her face. Showing exactly what Luke had done to her, in order to take some of the heat off of her and put it back on him. He wasn't an innocent victim in all of this and he needed to be outed, but they needed Chloe to be the one to do it. CR knew it was going to be a hard sell to the actress who preferred her life to be as private as possible. She didn't enjoy the attention and limelight that Luke preferred and reluctantly agreed to discuss minimal details with the press about their relationship.

"Oh" Stacie said looking up from her phone. "She was here earlier. Made her and Beca a cup of coffee and then made them some breakfast." Stacie informed them. "She looked like she was in a good mood so maybe whatever you're stressing over won't be so bad."

"Great" CR mumbled knowing she would soon put an end to that good mood.

 **XxXxXx**

"What do you want to do today?" Chloe asked as she sat sideways on the couch with her legs on Beca's lap. She wasn't sure when the brunette became comfortable with her again, and they still hadn't had the talk, but she wasn't complaining or currently overthinking it.

Beca's head that was resting back on the couch turned to the left to look at the redhead. "I don't think we're supposed to do anything." Beca replied blinking slowly.

"As much as I like you Becs" Chloe smiled, "And I really do … really, I don't think I can be stuck in this house all day."

Beca was fighting the smile that wanted to form on her face but she was losing the battle.

"It's a gorgeous day." Chloe said turning to look out the glass door. "We should be on the beach. Having fun or something. Maybe take Tuck for a walk. Ohhh" Chloe's eyes lit up, "Does he swim?" She asked quickly.

"Yes." Beca answered. "Of course he swims. He's awesome." She deadpanned.

Chloe clapped her hands together quickly and released a squeal.

"We can't." Beca shot down her idea. "You're supposed to be laying low. Staying out of sight. And for some reason me too. Otherwise we'd be over at the other house instead of in this tiny crappy one."

Chloe knew Beca was right but that didn't stop her from putting on her best pouting face and batting her eyelashes furiously hoping to pout her way into getting her wish when her phone pinged from the coffee table. She sighed and leaned forward to reach for the device, digging her heels unintentionally into Beca's legs.

"Ouch" Beca said as her hands flew to Chloe's feet trying to hold them still.

"Sorry." Chloe said returning to her seat. Her lips pursed to the side as she read the text.

"What?" Beca asked.

"CR and Aubrey want to talk to us." Chloe said quickly typing out a reply.

"Us?" Beca asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep." Chloe said swinging her legs off Beca's lap and pushing herself to her feet. She held her hand out for Beca who reached up and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet by the redhead. "Come on. Let's get this over with so we can go for that walk on the beach." Chloe smiled.

Beca dropped her head, knowing that if Chloe wanted to walk on the beach, then she would walk on the beach with her. She stomped playfully behind the actress as they left the guesthouse and made their way to the mansion.

"Hello?" Chloe called out as they entered. "Where are you guys?"

"Dining room." CR called back.

"I don't know why I have to be here." Beca mumbled as she followed Chloe into the room where everyone sat around the table waiting for the pair. "What is this?" Beca asked feeling overwhelmed by the number of eyes on her. She glanced from Jesse's to Amy's to Lily's and then at all of Chloe's friends who sat quietly.

"We need to talk." Amy said sharply.

"About?" Beca asked unwilling to move her feet.

Chloe had already taken a seat in one of the empty chairs. The other one next to her remained empty as Beca refused to sit. "What's going on CR?" Chloe asked.

"There was a photo taken of the two of you last night." She said cutting to the chase. "It's not very good quality but it's obviously you. And you Beca."

"When?" Chloe asked.

"It's from the beach. Most likely from a boat." Aubrey answered. She pulled up the picture on her laptop and spun it around to face the actress.

"They have your name Becs." Amy said loudly. "They know everything."

Beca's eyes lifted from the poor quality photo to her Australian friend.

"What do they know?" Beca asked.

"Everything. About the house. The plane. You're parents. The money." Amy said slowly.

Beca felt all the eyes on her.

"Chloe" CR cleared her throat feeling Beca's uneasiness. "We think you should make a statement."

"About what?" Chloe asked looking away from Beca, who was suddenly pale, over to her publicist.

"About what happened with you and Luke." CR began. "We think you should release a photo in hopes that the media would turn on him and ease up on you."

"What? No." Chloe said quickly.

"Why not Chloe?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm not using this" She motioned to her cut black eye, "as a publicity stunt."

"It's not a stunt Chlo. It happened. People should know." Aubrey argued.

"No." Chloe said loudly. "I'm not going to do that just to turn the media in my favor."

CR knew it was going to be hard to talk Chloe into going public. They'd taken a couple of photos of Chloe's face yesterday, at Aubrey's insistence, in case Chloe changed her mind and wanted to press charges against him but CR knew the chances those photos ever seeing the light of day were slim. So she moved on, "At least make a statement."

"Saying what?" Chloe asked crossing her arms over her chest. "That I broke up with him and he hit me in the face? That he cheated on me … I don't know how many times … that it was over for me a long time ago but I stayed with him because it was easy. That I was stupid for doing so. That I've been so lonely in my relationship for such a long time that I forgot what it felt like to have someone look at you … the real you." She trailed off. Her head turned and her eyes met Beca's. "That it feels good to find someone who likes you for you and nothing more."

"Maybe not all of that" Aubrey quipped. "But maybe say that you and Beca are just friends, and that you and some friends came down here to get away, and that you wish Luke the best, and hope that one day you can two can be friends."

Chloe turned back to her friend. "You want me to lie?"

"Lie?" Aubrey asked.

"I don't want to be just friends with Beca." Chloe whispered. "And frankly" Chloe sat up straight, "I don't care what Luke has to say."

"Becs?" Jesse questioned his friend who had stood motionless for the last few minutes. "You okay?"

Beca nodded slowly, thoughts swirling around her mind.

"I don't mean to interrupt." Stacie said quietly looking up from the table. Several heads snapped around towards her. Beca's didn't move. She still stood frozen. The weight of being friends with Chloe crashing down on her. The world able to read about her. About her parents. About her life. She protected herself so much so she wouldn't have to tell those stories. So she wouldn't have to explain and now after one crappy photo, the world would know.

"This just popped up on Just Jared's Instagram page." She slid her phone over on the table. Chloe's eyes closed slowly. Aubrey picked up the phone and brought it to her face to look closely at the picture and then back up to Beca. "This was taken this morning. You're still in the same clothes."

CR reached across the table and pulled Aubrey's laptop over to her. She quickly typed in the website address and sat back in her chair as she examined the photo. It was clear. It was high quality and it was going to be everywhere in a matter of seconds. Chloe, kissing Beca on the cheek, standing outside the guesthouse. Both holding coffee mugs. It didn't portray them as 'friends'. It looked like the pair were sharing a moment more intimate than what 'friends' would share. Beca was about to go from being 'a friend' to be 'the other woman'.

"How could they get a photo this close?" Aubrey asked looking at Lily and Amy.

"We don't own the ocean." Amy said sarcastically.

"It was taken from the road. It's about 200 yards away. Any good digital camera could make that shot but I'd bet this was taken with a telephoto lens" Lily said inspecting the photo. "That's public property. There's not much we can do to keep people away from there."

"Jesse. Get in the SUV and take a drive down the property line and see how many people are out there. Take Lily with you." Aubrey instructed.

Chloe turned to Beca who remained standing. "Beca?" She questioned softly.

Beca's eyes fell to hers.

"Are you okay?" Chloe whispered as she stood up from the table and made her way to the chef. She stopped when she was standing directly in front of her.

Beca could barely breathe. She could barely blink. Barely swallow. She was overwhelmed. She didn't know how to answer that question. Was she okay? Definitely not. She didn't know what was happening to her. Her body was shutting down because it couldn't handle the sudden stress.

"You're scaring me a little bit." Chloe whispered, her face close to Beca's.

"Yeah Shawshank, you're freaking us out." Amy said from her place at the table.

"Why do you call her Shawshank?" Stacie asked suddenly. She'd been wondering since last night.

The other guest's heads looking in Amy's direction awaiting explanation. She didn't hesitate in saying, "Oh. Cuz she's been to prison." With a shoulder shrug.

Chloe turned away from Beca and towards Amy. "What?"

CR dropped her head in her hands and Aubrey looked like she wanted to stress puke.

"That's hot." Stacie said.

"Yeah. Didn't she tell you that?" Amy asked.

Chloe turned back to Beca. "No. She didn't." Chloe said calmly as she tilted her head to the side slightly.

"Well. Great" Aubrey said loudly. "What else don't we know? What else is going to come out that will ruin Chloe's reputation?"

"Aubrey don't" Chloe warned.

"Chloe can we please just be reasonable here?" CR asked. "We need to put out something. Some kind of statement. It doesn't have to include photos but we need to release something or this is just going to get worse. They won't let up. You know this."

Chloe had been studying Beca for the last several minutes. At first she thought it was anger that had consumed the brunette but she knew it was fear. She ran her hand down Beca's arm and linked their fingers. "We'll be back." She said over her shoulder to her friends as she pulled Beca behind her towards the stairs.

"What did I miss?" Jessica asked, fresh out of bed, joining her friends in the dining room.

Once in her former room Chloe turned back towards Beca. "Okay. Just breathe." She coached.

Beca nodded her eyes feeling better about being out from under everyone else's eyes. Their judgements. Their jumping to conclusions. She felt better. Safer with the redhead. She took a shallow breath as she was told.

"Good. Just try to relax. I know it's a lot but just don't freak out." Chloe instructed. "Please don't freak out." She begged quietly.

"Jail." Beca mumbled.

"What?" Chloe asked leaning closer to Beca.

"Jail … not prison." Beca began to explain. "And it was only for a couple of hours." She rolled her eyes at herself. "It was for destruction of property. It was after a shift at Mas one night. A night Jesse, Amy and I had way too much to drink. We were walking back to my apartment and Amy decided to show us how she could do a roundhouse kick that she'd learned in her karate class."

"Really?" Chloe questioned quickly.

Beca nodded and continued. "It didn't go so well and she ended up shattering the glass at this shit ass sunglasses store we were walking past."

Chloe sucked her lips into her mouth to keep from laughing.

"She and Jesse took off but I decided to stay and explain it to the police and owner. And pay for the window but the store owner was a total dick and had me arrested." Beca said shaking her head with an eye roll. "Anyway, they bailed me out a couple hours later but Amy's called me that ever since."

Chloe knew it was time. Yes. They'd only known each other for three days. Yes. There were tons of things they didn't know about each other. But neither of those two things mattered. She really liked Beca and she needed to make that clear. "Beca" She said softly. "I need to talk … to tell you things and I'd really like it if you just listened."

Beca nodded slowly.

"Just listen okay?" Chloe repeated.

"Okay" Beca replied.

Chloe took a breath to compose herself. "I really like you." She said looking into Beca's eyes. "Like, really, really like you. I know I've said that before but I need you to know that I mean it. We barely know each other but ever since I met you, I've felt" She paused to pick the right word, "drawn to you."

"Okay" Beca whispered.

"Just listen." Chloe reprimanded.

"Sorry." Beca replied before she could stop herself. "Sorry."

"I know I fucked up by not being honest with you about Luke. I know I should have told you." Chloe said sadly.

"Why didn't you?" Beca asked not caring that she wasn't supposed to talk.

"I don't know." Chloe answered. "I know that is a shitty answer and I know you deserve better but I don't really know why I didn't tell you. Was it because I felt like we weren't even in a relationship anymore? Maybe. Was it because he has become so irrelevant to me that I didn't even care to think of him anymore? Maybe." Chloe admitted. "The night on the beach. You said I took your breath away. You said I was beautiful. And I wanted nothing more than to kiss you. I still want to kiss you. But I knew on the beach that as much as I wanted to I shouldn't be kissing you. Not at least until I officially broke up with him. But then the next day he was here and I had no idea he was coming."

Beca interrupted her. "When were you going to break up with him Chloe?" She asked. She'd been listening to the redhead and she believed her. But that one detail didn't make any sense to her. "Was it going to be before or after you went home?" Beca didn't mean to get upset but she was slowly starting to become angry. "You literally are only here for 6 days. So were you just going to have you're fun with me and then go home?"

"N-No" Chloe answered.

"Because honestly Chloe" Beca stopped speaking suddenly.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"It doesn't matter. You're only here for a few more days and then you're going to go back to where you came from. And I'll be here." Beca's shoulders dropped. She knew she should leave it at that. Knew she shouldn't keep talking but she did anyway. "I like you too." The admission came in barely a whisper as she stared at the floor. "But this" She gathered the courage to look up at the redhead, "Don't you see? … it won't work."

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"Because you're you." Beca said with a smile and added a defeated shrug after the words, "and I'm me."

Chloe had never had a problem crying on cue and portraying sadness. She'd been able to do it for as long as she could remember. She didn't know exactly how she did it. Sometimes she thought of her brother Tom and how much she missed him when she was younger. Sometimes it was of how he didn't want anything to do with her when she tried to contact him 2 years ago.

"Our worlds are too different. I don't belong in your world and literally before 3 days ago, you didn't exist in mine." Beca said gently.

The look in Beca's eyes. The tone of her voice. The words she spoke. That would be what Chloe would draw from, would allow herself to feel every time she needed to be heartbroken in a scene. The movies usually weren't all that different from real life anyway.

 **XxXxXx**

Jesse and Lily walked back into the dining room. "You're not going to believe this." He said pulling out his chair again.

"What?" Aubrey asked.

"The road that leads to the highway is packed with people. I've never seen anything like it." He replied looking around the room. "Where's Beca and Chloe?"

Beca rejoined the group, "Chloe just needed a moment in the restroom. She said she'd be down shortly."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at the Chef would leaned against the wall and stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"So, what are we going to do?" CR asked. "Because if she doesn't want to release a statement, those photographers are never going to leave. This won't blow over because it feels like she's hiding."

"Oh, there are not just photographers. There are so many people." Jesse said reaching forward into the fruit bowl that sat in the middle of the table retrieving an apple.

"People?" Aubrey asked.

He and Lily nodded.

"Like they think she's just gonna walk out and sign autographs and take selfies?" The lawyer questioned sarcastically.

CR sat shaking her head. Chloe was going to hate this. She naturally shied away from attention like this.

"We have to get her out of here." Jessica said sitting up straight in her chair.

All eyes were on her. She cleared her throat and continued. "I say we sneak her out."

"Sneak who out?" Chloe asked slowly entering the room and standing on the opposite side of it from Beca who stood looking out the window.

"You." Jessica said confidently.

"Why? We leave in a couple days anyway." Chloe questioned.

"There are hundreds of people along the road. Some paparazzi. Some tourists. Some fans." Lily spoke up unusually loudly. "They are just waiting to get a photo or a glimpse of you. If you stay her, you'd be trapped inside. You can do that if you want but I'm guessing the longer you do, the worse it will get."

"But where would she go?" Aubrey asked the group. "LA would be worse than here and they know where you live. They could stand outside your house."

"You don't live in like a gated neighborhood where like Oprah lives?" Jesse asked taking another bite of his apple.

Chloe shook her head.

"No. She lives in a regular house. In a regular neighborhood. With regular neighbors." Aubrey said quickly to the man making him swallow hard from the glare in her eye.

Chloe chanced a look at Beca who didn't acknowledge anything.

"What about your mom's house?" Stacie asked.

Chloe disagreed. "No. I don't want that kind of attention on her." She took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter. Where ever I go, they will find me. They will figure it out. They always do." "So I don't care. Just tell me what you want me to do." She offered her friends a sad smile and left the dining room. They all heard the door close and assumed she'd gone back to the guesthouse for now.

"I have a safe house." Lily whispered, Beca's eyes meeting hers instantly at the revelation.

* * *

 **AN: Sup guys. So I promised myself I wouldn't but I took a giant belly flop into the PP3 spoilers last night and although I knew in my mind that they wouldn't happen in the movie I'm just disappointed and all angsty because from what I read in several places the movie didn't need to pair Chloe and Chicago together. They could have just left it out and as much as I knew Universal wouldn't give us BeChloe, why couldn't they just left it open ended. Why? I don't get it and Beca's right, the weird kid see's dead people, we all know who Luke's father is and of course the guy gets the girl. UGH... I'm just bummed. Of course, I'll see the movie tomorrow when it comes out here. And yes, I'll buy the DVD when it comes out but I guess I'm glad it's gonna be over because it just feels ruined. Don't know... Anyway ... I'm down and in a funk and I don't know if this chapter is any good. I didn't even proof read it. I apologize cuz y'all deserve better but I ain't feeling it today. Please don't yell at me but I guess you can if you want.**

 **Song Title Cred: Khalid, Angels**


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10: GATHER COURAGE, IF YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING, DO IT 'CAUSE SHE GOT TO GO SOON

 **Night Five**

Beca stopped. Her whole body stopped. Her left hand was suspended in the air, reaching for the door knob to the guesthouse. It had taken her the whole day to get to this point. The entire day and now here she was again, motionless. That's how it had started. She stood frozen in the dining room. Listening to everyone until she heard Amy say that people knew about her. About her parents. About the money. They didn't even know who she really was and yet millions of people all over the world were making judgments about who they thought she was. The thought of that was completely overwhelming to Beca. She'd spent all of her life trying to hide from people. Shying away from attention. Staying in her room as a child and learning to mix music. Singing in the dark where no one could hear her. Cooking for people to make them happy but doing it in the safety of the kitchen. Relishing the feeling of being behind the scenes. Running from New York when her parents died because people would know she was the daughter of James and Olivia Mitchell. Convincing her best friend to run away with her to a tourist hotspot where people came and left and didn't think twice about the people they met for a few days. Hiding in a dark DJ booth playing music, watching it bring joy to other people. And now, that anonymity was gone. Her photo was on the internet. With her name. Where she lived. Where she worked. Who her parents were. How they died. What she inherited. And the famous actress she was now linked to.

It was three hours after Chloe had left the house. After the plan was already being set in motion by both their groups of friends. Three hours she sat looking over the ocean from the second floor of the mansion she owned. Three hours until her best friend found her and told her what a complete fool she was. What a fool she was for not taking a chance. What a fool she was for running from someone like Chloe. For not even giving it a chance. What could it hurt? He said. So it doesn't work out and you come back home … back here, he said. But what if it does Beca? He said. Then it took another 5 hours of her walking along the beach, trying not to think of the number of photographs that were probably being taken of her. Five hours of walking and sitting and thinking. Then another 2 hours of psyching herself up to speak to Chloe for the first time all day. Psyching herself up to see her and be alone with her since she'd told her it wouldn't work that morning. Since the actress excused herself to the restroom to dry her own tears. Tears, Beca's words made happen. Words that came out of her mouth that made Chloe so sad her eye's watered and tears began to flow from the most beautiful shade of blue she'd ever seen.

Beca grabbed the door knob in her left hand and turned it to the right. The house was dark and she hadn't seen Chloe all day but she knew the redhead was in there. She hadn't come out and what Beca had gathered back at the house before she worked up the nerve to return to the guesthouse, Chloe hadn't spoken much to anyone. Hadn't eaten. Hadn't done anything. Just hid. The exact thing she remembered Chloe tell her that very morning that she didn't want to do. She pushed the door closed softly behind her and proceeded into the house. Not speaking or calling out for Chloe, but just looking for her. She wasn't in the living room and she wasn't in the kitchen or sitting outside so Beca made her way down the hallway. Tuck laid on the floor outside of Chloe's room with his head on his paws. Beca bent down and scratched his head gently knowing that he probably had sat there all day too, just watching over the actress. Beca stood and took a small step towards Chloe's room, her foot landing on the squeaky board alerting Chloe that someone else was in the house but the redhead didn't move. She sat on the edge of the bed with her back to the door, looking at a picture hung on Benji's wall. It was an old crappy painting of the beach. Beca remembered the day that Benji had brought it over to the guesthouse. He'd told her that he was always busy hosting, he never got to sit and look at the beach but now he could. Chloe sat facing that shitty picture when paradise was just outside the doors. A stone's throw away and she couldn't go. Beca's chest tightened at the thought of not being able to escape who you are. Not being able to run.

"Just tell me what you want me to do Bree." Chloe rasped. Her voice weak from not speaking all day.

"It's me" Beca announced softly. She watched Chloe react to her voice. Watched her posture straighten up. Watched her sit rigidly on the edge of the bed, but not turn around. Beca thought that may have been better for what she was coming to say. Easier for her maybe. Beca took a steadying breath as Jesse's words ran through her head again. "I" Beca said but stopped suddenly. She watched Chloe's posture fall, her back round and her head drop. Beca pushed through her own insecurities and fears, "I'm sorry for earlier today."

Chloe's head rose slowly and she turned, looking over her shoulder towards the chef who stood in the doorway of the room.

"I freaked out and well … checked out for a while." Beca said with a slight smile. "Thank you for pulling me away so I could collect myself."

Chloe nodded gently unsure if Beca was done speaking or if she had more to say.

Beca took a hesitant step into the room. "I don't know exactly what to say to you." Beca admitted. "This is" Beca's arms motioned largely around the room as she referred to the situation and she hoped it came across that way to the redhead. "is so surreal. All of this."

Chloe could feel herself frowning. It wasn't her natural expression and it felt awkward yet she'd caught herself doing it most of the day. She drew her lips up, preparing herself for the rejection she was sure Beca was going to give her again.

"I can't imagine what your life is like on a daily basis." Beca said as she stopped after only a couple of steps into Chloe's room. "The last 24 hours has been crazy … stressful, and everything I never wanted my life to be." Beca admitted. She could see Chloe's face harden. She could see the beautiful woman brace herself for Beca's words. "I don't know how you do this. How you live like this."

Chloe shook her head. "This is not me." She replied softly knowing that Beca had more to say. "All of this" she mimicked Beca's previous motion, "Isn't really real."

"Not real?" Beca asked in disbelief. "How can you say that? I'm standing right here and I've been here all day listening to everyone plan your escape. Whether you want to admit it or not Chloe, all of this is really happening and you sitting in here all day, shutting yourself off from it, doesn't make it any less real. You know that right?" This was not the conversation Beca thought she'd be having but she couldn't believe Chloe was this delusional.

"Right Beca" Chloe said as she stood from the bed, her legs a little wobbly from not having stood up in a while. "Like you have any right to say that to me."

"What does that mean?" Beca questioned loudly.

Chloe hands rose slightly and then slapped down against the sides of her legs, "You run from everything. You never stick around to let anything get too hard."

Beca remained poised. Her face stoic.

"Why would this be any different?" Chloe questioned. She closed her eyes slowly and released a breath, calming herself. She opened her eyes and immediately looked up at the ceiling to fight the tears that threatened to form. "You already made yourself abundantly clear this morning." The sadness in her voice was thick. "I don't need you to try and make me feel better. I can handle it. I'm a big girl."

"Chloe?" Aubrey's voice rang through the house. "Honey?"

"In here" Chloe called back as she made eye contact with Beca.

Less than a minute later and Aubrey was rounding the corner and walking into her room. "So here's what" The blonde lawyer stopped. "Oh. Beca. I didn't think you'd be here."

"What are we doing?" Chloe asked quickly.

Beca raised her eyebrows at Aubrey quickly and turned around. She left the room and crossed the hall closing her bedroom door as soon as she was in the safety of her solitude.

Aubrey watched Beca walk away and watched her door close before turning back to Chloe. "We are getting you out of here."

"You mean we are getting out of here?" Chloe asked confused by Aubrey's singular word choice.

"No honey. Just you. CR, Stacie and Jess and I are going to stay back for the remainder of the trip. Then we are going to fly home to LA and work on this Luke issue."

"Why?" Chloe asked quietly. "Why can't you guys come with me? Or why can't I just go home with you?"

"I'm sorry Chlo but for lack of a better word, you're being held hostage here." Aubrey walked up to her friend and put her hand gently on Chloe's shoulder. "And we know you hate that. You hate this."

Chloe nodded. She did hate it.

"And it's not fair. So we think that once you're gone and the rest of us girls carry on with this vacation, they can take all the photos of us without you … we think they will get the hint that you left. Plus we're not going to hide the fact that you're leaving."

"What?" Chloe questioned.

"Jesse's gonna drive you to a private airport. You'll drive right past all the photographers." Aubrey shrugged. "I mean it's gonna be at like three in the morning so we don't think there will be that many people out there but there will definitely be enough to have a couple of pictures taken of you in the SUV."

Chloe nodded, "Where am I going?"

Aubrey laughed to herself. "Lily has a safe house."

"Really?" Chloe questioned skeptically. "Are you sure it's not Beca's?"

"Beca's?" Aubrey repeated.

"Everything else around here seems to be hers." Chloe spat.

Aubrey wasn't sure what she walked in on but she knew it wasn't in Chloe's nature to be snarky. It was obvious that their talk didn't go well but decided to ignore it and answer Chloe's question honestly. "No. It's not Beca's house. She was as surprised to learn about it as Amy was. But" Aubrey paused, "we are using her plane."

Chloe recoiled and was about to refuse but Aubrey beat her to it, "No. We are. It's done Chloe."

Aubrey watched the thought settle in over her friend before she continued. "You're going to fly to Jackson Hole Wyoming and from there a car will pick you up and drive you to Billings Montana. Lily has a house on 72 acres. It's completely secluded. No one will know you're there except for us." Aubrey said as she soothingly ran her arms down Chloe's arms.

"72 acres?" Chloe questioned. "That's kind of odd isn't it?"

"Everything about that girl is odd." Aubrey replied honestly as Chloe shook her head in agreement.

"But I'll be all alone." Chloe whispered. "You guys will be here or in LA and I'll be there for" She rolled her eyes back in her head, "God knows how long."

Aubrey cocked her head to the side. "Sweetie." She said softly. "It's only going to be for a week. Two tops. I promise." Aubrey said assuredly. "CR thinks this will blow over and then you can come back to LA."

Chloe's eyes dropped to the floor.

"It's either that or stay here for a couple more days. We all go back to LA together and then you're hounded by the paparazzi. LA is the worst place for you to be right now. You'll be a prisoner in your own home." Aubrey answered. "Or go to Montana and let this blow over. Let CR and I work on this and then come back when it's died down." She let Chloe think it over.

The actress nodded, "okay. I'll go." She said looking up to Aubrey, "to Montana."

"Good" Aubrey said as she pulled the redhead against her, hugging her tightly. "It's like 10:15 so, you have a few hours. Take a shower and pack." Aubrey winced.

"What?" Chloe asked nervously.

"So, even though it's April, the high in Montana is like 60 degrees." Aubrey said with a grimace.

"What?" Chloe asked. "I have shorts and dresses and bikini's Bree."

"I know. We're working on that but Lily says the house will have everything you'll need." Aubrey said quickly. "Just shower … eat, have you eaten?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe shook her head, "No."

"I'll go get you something from next door. I think Jesse was going out for a food run." Aubrey smiled. "Do you need anything else? I'm sure the girls won't mind coming back to help you pack."

"I don't need anything. I can manage." Chloe said sadly.

"How about this. You shower and pack. Then come back to the house and we'll all have dinner together okay?" Aubrey asked sweetly. "Sound good?"

Chloe nodded and smiled. "Yeah." She whispered.

"Okay." Aubrey started backing out of the room. "See you in a bit."

Chloe watched her best friend leave the room and was left with a direct view of Beca's closed door. She wanted to talk to her some more. There were things she should say. Apologies to make. She couldn't just leave it like this. She felt connected to the woman. She was going to miss her. She was going to think of her and maybe Beca deserved to know those two things. Chloe gathered up her bathroom items and paused outside Beca's door for a few seconds before turning to her left and walking one room down into the only bathroom in the house. She closed the door, sat her things on the counter and turned on the water. It wouldn't hurt to take a few minutes to gather her thoughts some more before she knocked on that closed bedroom door for the last time. She shed her clothes and got into the shower letting the water fall on her as she prepared to see Beca one last time.

 **XxXxXx**

Chloe zipped up her suitcase with a deep breath. She pulled it from the bed and sat it on the floor, pulling up the handle to pull behind her. She picked up the shirt that she laid on the bed and turned back to the open door and to the closed door across the hallway. She stopped with the shirt in her hand and knocked three times on Beca's bedroom door. "Beca?" She called out, "It's Chloe." She rolled her eyes at herself. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Chloe stood patiently with Beca's flannel shirt in her hands letting it hang down in front of her. She waited, unsure if Beca was going to open the door anytime soon, so she decided to speak anyway hoping it would be enough. Enough to get Beca to open the door. Enough to see her one more time before she had to go. "I didn't even want to come on this vacation." Chloe admitted. "I just wanted to stay home and work but the girls said I needed to get out. Said it would be good for me to get away for a while and they were right. I never expected to meet someone like you." Chloe smiled and leaned her forehead against the door. "But people say it happens when you least expect it … to meet the person that will change you forever." Chloe placed her palm against the door. "God I know that's a lot of pressure. We barely know each other but I feel like when you look at me, I feel like … me and I haven't felt like that in ages." She took a couple of seconds to compose her emotions that were quickly getting away from her. "I wish I'd done things differently but I'll never regret meeting you and spending time with you. I wish it was under different circumstances. I wish it wasn't with everything else happening around us. Chloe sighed. "Can you please open the door Becs?" She asked tearful. "Please Beca?" Chloe asked as she reached for the doorknob. She waited a few seconds before turning it and pushing the door open enough to look inside. "Beca?" She called out. She didn't see the brunette in the room so she pushed the door all the way open. The room was empty but that didn't stop Chloe from calling her name again a little louder. "Beca?"

Chloe turned away from Beca's door, pulling her suitcase, through the hallway and into the living area. Maybe Beca was at the mansion because she wasn't in the smaller house. Chloe left her suitcase in the entry way and wound her way through the first floor of the mansion, eventually finding her friends in the kitchen. "Chlo!" Jessica greeted happily. Chloe couldn't help the smile that found its way to her face as her friend engulfed her in a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you so freaking much" Jessica whispered in her ear.

"Me too Jess" Chloe said back as she returned the embrace.

"Hungry honey?" Aubrey called from behind them.

Chloe nodded her head as she pulled away from Jessica. She turned to see Aubrey walking into the kitchen followed closely by Jesse. Chloe waited hoping that Beca would be behind them but she never appeared. "Does anyone know where Beca is?" Chloe asked as she watched Jesse and Aubrey unpack sacks of food from a local restaurant.

The ladies in the room looked to Jesse. He could feel their eyes on him and he could feel Chloe's nervousness.

"She's gone." He answered plainly.

"Gone?" Chloe asked softly.

He nodded sadly.

"Where did she go?" Stacie asked breaking through the silence.

Jesse's eyes moved from Chloe's to Stacie's. "Home." His dark brown eyes flew across the room back to the blue ones that were filled with sadness. "She went home." He repeated and he knew Chloe knew he didn't mean to her apartment in Cabo.

 **XxXxXx**

At some point in the evening Chloe had fallen asleep with her head on CR shoulder. She spent the last of her nights in Cabo with her best friends. She listened to them laugh. She listened to them tell silly stories and she was with them in body but her mind was with someone else. She wondered where Beca was. What she was doing. Was she thinking of her too. She kept her head mostly down as they drove away from the mansion. The bright bulbs flashing from outside the car. Illuminating enough to capture her photo, just as Aubrey had predicted.

Once off the side road and on the main road, Jesse picked up speed as he headed towards the private airfield. He watched to make sure they weren't being followed as he winded through the cabo streets carefully at two in the morning. He'd glanced back at Chloe through the rear view mirror a couple of times. He wanted to say something to her, to try and comfort her because it was painfully obvious that she wasn't okay, but he bit his tongue each time. It wasn't what Beca had wanted him to do. When he'd spoken to her last, when she slipped out of the house while Chloe was in the shower, she told him what she was going to do. She was going home. To New York. She was going to stop running. She was going to do the things that she'd refused to deal with years ago. She said that maybe she'd be back to Cabo. He knew that she would, eventually, but not any time soon. He hugged her and he watched her sling her bag in her jeep, he watched Tuck jump in and crawl to the back seat, and he watched them drive away.

Jesse pulled into the small airport and pulled up to the airplane he knew was Beca's. "Wait here." He said to Chloe who nodded. Jesse got out as the staircase doors began to unfold. She watched him through the window. He shook the man's hand that descended the steps. She watched him hand him an envelope. Watched as the man looked inside and nodded his head at Jesse. Watched as he smiled. She watched Jesse turn back towards the car and make his way to her door. He opened it and offered his hand for her to take. She did. He held it as he walked her to the small staircase.

"Chloe" Jesse said from behind her.

"Thank you Jesse" Chloe after she turned around. She offered a kind smile. She placed her hand on his shoulder and kissed him quickly on the cheek.

He smiled at her and watched her turn and walk up the stairs. He ran back to the car and grabbed her suitcase. He handed it over to the man at the bottom of the staircase and watched him walk up and disappear inside the plane. He stepped back as the staircase folded up. He watched the man sit in the pilot's seat. He nodded at him through the window just before the plane's twin engines roared to life. He stepped back and leaned against the black SUV as the plane slowly began to pull away. He raised his hand in the air when he saw Chloe looking out at him. He watched the plane make a couple of turns and disappear into the darkness. He could only see it by the flashing lights on the wings of the plane as it sped down the runway and eventually began climbing in the air. He watched until he couldn't see it anymore. Until she was gone.

 **XxXxXx**

"Miss"

Chloe's eyes felt heavy. She wasn't sure when she fell asleep but it was sometimes after the plane had taken off. There were only a couple of lights on in the cabin and it was only her and the pilot who she heard calling her out of her sleep.

"Miss" He said again gently.

He was an older man. Chloe guessed probably around 60, at least that what she thought when she saw his white hair and white beard. He'd introduced himself before they took off and asked her if she needed anything to which she declined. That was the last time she saw him until now. Her eyes opened slowly. She was surprised that it still seemed to be dark outside.

"We're here." He said with a soft smile.

Chloe nodded. She pushed herself up in her chair and stretched her arms in the air. "Jackson Hole?" Chloe asked

He nodded. "You're car is just outside." He said as he pointed through the small plane window to a white car that sat a few yards away. "As per our agreement with your management, I'll file our flight itinerary, after I land in Calgary."

"Calgary? Canada?" Chloe asked sitting up straight. She was confused.

"Yes, Ma'am. Where my family lives. Miss. Mitchell was very generous when she said I could take her plane home just in time to see my son and his wife have their first child. My first grandchild." He beamed. "I'm just here to refuel before continuing my journey."

Chloe still didn't understand.

"You're not listed on the flight manifest so no one will be able to track you here. I'll list a few days after I land in Canada. That will give you a few days head start so no one will know where you are." He smiled.

"Won't you get in trouble for that?" Chloe asked.

"Probably" He chuckled. "But Miss. Mitchell agreed to pay the fine and I really only fly for her these days anyway."

Chloe nodded slowly. Beca had been much more involved in this than she originally thought. Maybe that's what she was going to tell her earlier that night.

"Good luck Miss." He said as he smiled and walked away.

Chloe eventually stood from her seat. She gathered her bag. Rolled up her headphones and stuffed them in a side pocket of her purse with her phone. She threw it over her shoulder and walked down the aisle, out of the plane and down the steps. As soon as her foot hit the concrete she stopped frozen in her tracks. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Lily?" Chloe questioned.

* * *

 **AN: Saw PP3 ... it was good but still kind of bummed about the pairing. Anyway, Merry Christmas guys. Hope everyone had a happy, safe holiday.**

 **Song Title Cred: Dermot Kennedy, A Closeness**


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11: OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY, A MILLION MILES FROM LA

 **Billings**

Chloe could remember the three times that her life changed. The first was when her parents divorced and they split her and her brother up. She didn't understand. How could she? She was 8 years old. How could she understand the pain of falling out of love? The decisions that you make at the time. Decisions that are in the best interest of everyone involved. She didn't understand why her parents split up her and her brother, not for years. Not until she asked her mother about it 12 years later. She still doesn't know if she would have made the same decision if she were in that situation but nevertheless a decision was made and it changed her life.

The second time was when she stepped out on the stage of her high school production of To Kill A Mockingbird. She'd felt alive during those 90 minutes she played Scout. She knew after that that was what she was meant to do. Perform. Act. Create. After that she'd taken every acting class she could find in her small hometown in Georgia. She worked at the local movie theatre and saved as much money as she could and got the best headshots she could afford. She drove into Atlanta every weekend that she wasn't working for auditions. She auditioned for everything. Commercials. Supporting parts. Leading roles. Walk through parts. Anything and everything. And she landed a couple. She was in a group of kids hanging out at a McDonald's in a local commercial that she saw on TV once. She was turned down a lot but she kept going. Her senior year in high school she got a call from an Atlanta producer that she'd auditioned for a few times for small things. The lady had remembered her and she saved her number after her last failed audition. The lady said she had an opportunity that she thought Chloe would be perfect for. It's funny how things happen. How you get 'discovered'. When she worked on a set in Atlanta for 5 days shooting the part of Sally, new love interest, in a little known WGN comedy she never thought in a million years that they'd bring her back for the next episode. Or the episode after that … but they did. And as soon as she had enough credits to graduate high school, Chloe took the test and left for Atlanta the very same day. Two months later and she was moving to LA. It all just kind of happened for her after that. She worked hard and tried to make the best choices she could. She turned down the stereotypical roles in favor or parts in movies that spoke to her. That challenged her as an artist. She made enough money to live on her own and send a little home to her mom. But if she hadn't have pulled the flyer off the wall in her high school calling for auditions for the spring play, her life may have not changed for the second time.

When her phone was ringing off the hook last year one early January morning, her life changed again. The noise coming from the other end was hard to decipher. She knew it was Aubrey but she couldn't make out a word she was saying. Luke had mumbled for her to hang up and go back to bed but instead she pushed the covers off of her and walked into the bathroom, begging Aubrey to slow down so she could understand her. When she'd finally understood what her best friend was calling to tell her she couldn't believe her ears. She couldn't. She'd only been acting steadily in LA for a five years. That was nothing. People tried to succeed for 25 years in LA and were never nominated for anything, much less an academy award. She couldn't understand how this was happening to her. Everything after that was a blur. She was interviewed by everybody. Her picture was all over the place. Luke's band grew in popularity and even though he insisted it wasn't because of his relationship with her, Aubrey had always accused him of ride on her coat tail. Of course she didn't win the academy award. Why would she? She was just Chloe Beale. She wasn't Meryl Streep … who actually did win the award that year. But since that fateful day in January nothing was the same. She was sought after. It didn't matter what she was doing. Grocery shopping. Clothes shopping. Going to the movies or to a concert. Coming out of an exercise class. Someone was always lurking around to take her photo. She was always conscious of that. She never felt alone. Not anymore.

That was up until 5 days ago. When she stepped off that plane and froze at the sight of Lily standing by the white car at 5 in the morning in Jackson Hole Wyoming. How could that be? She didn't understand. But turns out Lily has a twin sister. Milly. Chloe wondered how many people, other than Lily knew she had a twin. They were identical in every way, except for the fact that Milly spoke at a volume that normal people could hear. Milly drove her 6 hours from Jackson Hole to Billings. They didn't stop until Milly pulled up in front of a small cabin in the middle of nowhere. She helped Chloe out of the car with her bag and handed over the keys to the cabin. She said she'd be back in a few days to bring Chloe some supplies she would gather and to get a list of items Chloe may need. And true to her word, 3 long, lonely days later, the same white car pulled up and Milly got out. She had bags of groceries. She had some warmer clothes, jeans and a pair of outdoor boots. She had a new computer. A camera. Some notebooks. Things Chloe would later find out that Aubrey told Milly bring to her. And it got better after that. There was no TV. No internet. Shitty cell service but she had a camera. And she had 72 acres of the most beautiful landscape she could ever remember seeing. Now that she had a computer, she had hours to sit and write. Stories. Screenplays. Letters she couldn't send. Whatever she could think of. The last two days had been the most creative in her life. She'd been able to speak to Aubrey and CR at least once a day. Her mother, Stacie and Jessica once. The girls had been back in LA for a couple of days and were being hounded with questions about her whereabouts. She felt bad about that but they'd insisted it wasn't that bad and they were confident that it would blow over. A couple of stories of Luke's recent infidelities were beginning to surface, according to Aubrey, and the press was turning on him. Chloe wasn't thrilled when Aubrey told her that one of the photos taken of her in the SUV hinted at the black eye that she was sporting at the time. Currently it was all but gone but that photo was out and Aubrey told her people were talking about it.

Chloe had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she spun the spoon slowly around in the coffee watching the black liquid change to a lighter caramel color. She picked up the mug and walked towards the back door. She slipped her feet inside her fur lined boots and made her way out on to the back side of the house.

The porch wrapped all the way around the small log cabin but the back had the best view of the mountains in the distance. She loved watching the sun come up over the mountains. It had been her thing for the last 4 days. The first full day, she'd spent in bed crying and feeling sorry for herself but after that she explored the house. It was beautiful. It only had two small bedrooms. One, was slightly larger and had its own bathroom. That's where she decided to stay. It had a queen size bed. One night side table and a simple chest of drawers. The other room was much smaller and housed only a twin size bed and nothing else in the room. The living room and kitchen were practically the same room and shared a wood burning fireplace, which Chloe found out was the only source of heat. She'd found a large pile of wood stacked up on the backside of the house and figured out how to light a fire on her second night in the home. It was perfect. She loved it. It was only missing a few things. Her friends were one of them. Internet would have been amazing but after a few days, she didn't really miss that as much.

Chloe leaned against the railing of the porch and brought the hot mug to her lips. It was just after six in the morning and the sun was due up at any time. She couldn't wait. The colors that danced through the sky mesmerized her. The black sky that was lit by thousands of stars would turn dark blue and then slowly begin to brighten. She'd managed to catch it several times with her camera but she never grew tired of watching it. After the blue continued to lighten up it would eventually turn to the most beautiful and vibrant orange hue she'd ever seen. On the second day, the day she actually got out of bed and wondered outside, it actually brought tears to her eyes. It seemed that each morning got more spectacular which was the opposite of what she thought would happen. That maybe one day it wouldn't be as beautiful. Maybe one day she wouldn't wake up and hurry outside to see it. She hoped that she wouldn't be in Montana long enough for her to get tired of the sunrise but she also didn't mind it at the moment.

Chloe stood on the porch leaning up against the railing, wrapped in a blanket and sipping her coffee when it was just beginning. The first ray of golden orange was starting to peak out over the mountain and she couldn't peel her eyes from it. Until she heard it. It was something she hadn't heard in five days. She knew she was out there all alone. She'd walked as much of the 72 acres as she possibly could in the last few days and she never came across anything other than birds and ducks. She knew to be on the lookout for all kinds of wild animals. She'd expected to maybe see some. Maybe some deer or a moose? She'd really hoped she'd never come face to face with a bear but she was careful. They were probably more scared of her than she was of them anyway … at least that's what she'd told herself. She'd sat out on the porch once at night but went back inside quickly at the sounds coming from around her. They were from animals, she knew that, but she didn't know what kind and she couldn't see them in the darkness. So she'd done what any sane city girl would do and hurry back inside so she wouldn't be eaten alive. But this sound, she knew. She'd heard it before. It was definitely on the other side of the house so she didn't get a look at it. All she saw was the flock of white birds, maybe 7 or 8 of them fly off squawking unhappily as they did. Then the barking again and again. It was getting closer to her but she still didn't see the dog.

"Sorry"

Chloe turned in the opposite direction quickly. She was so surprised that she dropped her coffee mug.

"He's been cooped up in the truck for like the last 6 hours so he's got some energy to burn." Beca said with a smirk.

"Beca?" Chloe whispered. She couldn't believe her eyes. Maybe she was dreaming.

"Hi." Beca replied as she slowly made her way towards the spooked actress. By the time she'd made it up the three porch steps Tuck had given up on chasing the birds and was now running towards them. Chloe could see his white fur off in the distance as the sun continued to climb in the sky. "I didn't mean to scare you." Beca said as she knelt down at Chloe's feet. For the most part her the mug was intact. The handle was broken off and there was a large piece chipped off from the top but at least it wasn't shattered.

Chloe looked down at her feet as Beca collected the mug. There was coffee all over the porch that Tuck was suddenly happy to try and lick up.

"Tuck. No" Beca said standing back up, coming eye to eye with Chloe.

"Wh, what are you doing here?" Chloe managed to breathe out.

Beca shrugged her shoulders. She'd had 12 hours to think about everything she wanted to say to Chloe. "We never got to finish out conversation." Beca said sarcastically. "And you were in the shower when I had to leave."

Chloe picked up on the hint of sarcasm but continued asking questions. "Why did you have to leave? Where did you go?"

Beca smiled. She could tell she'd caught Chloe completely off guard. She thought that Aubrey would have spilled the secret by now to her best friend but she hadn't and Beca could tell by the look on Chloe's face that the actress was completely surprised to see her. "Well" She started as she reached down for Chloe's hand, gently grabbing it and pulling her towards a nearby porch swing. She continued as they sat down. "It was part of the plan. For both of us to leave." Beca said.

Chloe turned her body slightly to face Beca as she spoke.

"Originally we were going to both be on the plane to Wyoming but I changed my mind at the last minute." Beca admitted.

"Changed your mind? Why?" Chloe asked.

"Because of you." Beca broke eye contact. "You said, that I always ran." She looked back into Chloe's eyes. "And you were right. So I needed to go home first. To New York" She clarified. "I had some unfinished business to attend to. Things my father left that I've been putting off. That I didn't want to deal with." Beca said with a sad smile. "When that was done, Tuck and I got on the first flight we could to Minneapolis. We bought the shitty pick-up truck that's out front from some really sketchy dude and drove here. To find you." Beca summarized. "It's kind of a miracle we made it to be honest." Beca smirked.

"Why?" Chloe asked breathless.

"Because I needed to tell you something." Beca replied as her smirk turned into a gentle smile.

"What?" Chloe wasn't sure she said it loud enough for anyone to hear but Beca obviously did.

"It was true when I told you we were worlds apart." Beca said slowly as she looked down at Chloe's hand in hers. "But it's not anymore."

Chloe shook her head slowly. "I don't." She took a breath, "I don't understand."

"You were right." Beca smirked. "I was running."

Chloe's head was spinning. At some point in the last several days, she'd resigned herself to the fact that she'd never see Beca Mitchell again. But now, on a cool Montana morning as the sun was rising in the sky, Beca Mitchell sat across from her. Holding her hand. Speaking so honestly. She had a confidence about her that Chloe had only seen glimpses of. But somehow, this Beca was a little different than the one in Cabo.

"But I don't want to run anymore." Beca said softly with a gentle smile and a slight turn of her head. "I want" She looked back at Chloe, "My parents" Beca said deciding to start again. "My parents were amazing. They loved me more than anything in the world and when I wanted to pursue music as a career, they wanted me to be happy, but they didn't want me to struggle. They wanted something more" Beca paused to choose her word carefully, "practical."

Chloe's brows furrowed as she listened intently.

"They would have supported me if I'd insisted on going to LA and trying to make it as a producer, but in a way," Beca braced herself, she'd never said the following words out loud to anyone before and she couldn't believe she was going to say them now, "in a way, they gave me an out. Gave me a reason to not go. To not take that chance."

Seeing how difficult that admission was for Beca, Chloe squeezed her hand gently.

"So I went in a more practical way." Beca shrugged. "I never gave up on music. I still love it. But I was too afraid to put myself out there. Too afraid to leap."

Chloe swallowed hard. She could feel this story coming back around to what exactly Beca was doing sitting next to her.

"Jesse told me that I was a complete idiot if I let you walk out of my life. If I didn't take a chance with you." Beca admitted with a signature eye roll. "And I was" Beca stopped and corrected herself, "am … scared."

Chloe nodded. She agreed. She felt that was too.

"So, I think I want to leap. I'm nervous as hell but I'm hoping you'll be there to catch me?" Beca asked sweetly.

Chloe couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her eyes were filling with tears.

"I can't promise you that I won't want to run." Beca sighed, "I've been doing it so long that it's my first instinct."

Chloe sniffed as she continued listening, breaking eye contact with Beca for a few seconds before bringing her eyes right back to the brunette's. She could feel the moment. She knew the feeling. It was going to be the forth time her life changed.

"We don't have to be worlds apart. I can be anywhere in the world and the only place I want to be" Beca smiled softly, "is with you."

* * *

 **AN: My apologies for being a little on the short side but I'll try to make it up to you guys with Sunday's post. So Beca showed up. She came back... wonder what she's been up too? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.**

 **Song Title Cred: Rita Ora, Anywhere**


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12: CRYING NIGHTS, BROKEN BELLS, BACKING CAUSE, NO ONE TELLS. DOWN WE GO, WISH ME WELL, I DON'T KNOW, WHERE WE FELL.

 **Six days ago in Cabo** , she'd packed her suitcase. She stood outside the bathroom door, where she could hear the shower running, wanting to knock. Wanting to tell Chloe she had to leave. Wanted to ask Chloe to not hate her for leaving with her like they planned as how Aubrey had probably already explained to her. Wanting to ask Chloe to wait for her in arrive in Billings so they could talk. So they could see where this connection they had would lead. But she didn't. She stepped back from the bathroom and walked straight out of the house and climbed into her jeep. She and Tuck went back to her apartment and packed the other clothes she knew she would need. Nicer clothes. Professional clothes. Clothing appropriate for James and Olivia Mitchell's only child. Their heir. She grabbed Tuck's vaccination papers and headed straight to the airport where she purchased a ticket on the first flight that would allow her to travel with her dog. She'd made several stops and had several layovers in random cities in her journey to New York and she was exhausted by the time she stepped off the plane and walked through JFK International Airport. She knew by checking in with Jesse that Chloe had gotten off seamlessly and that made her happy, that the actress was out from under the relentless eye of the press. She rented a car and made the 45 minute drive into Manhattan, to the building her parents owned across from Central Park. To the building she owned across from Central Park.

Even after all these years she felt the stares and heard the whispers from the staff as she crossed the lobby of the upscale building. She and Tuck entered the elevator and she pressed the top button. The one that would take her to her former residence. To the house, if you could call it that, she grew up in. The PH button glowed bright white as the elevator began its journey up to the pent house. As soon as the elevator doors opened the memories hit her like a heavy fog. Beca closed her eyes and took a breath to steady herself. This was the first step she needed to take. Literally one step off the elevator and into her parent's home. She needed to do it. She had to. For her. So she could stop running from it. So she could move forward with her life. Beca blew the air out of her lungs forcefully and took the step. She could hear Tucks paws prancing across the wooden floors as he followed her into the space.

It was just as she had remembered it. Nothing was different. Even though she had people come in monthly to clean and dust the space, not one item was out of place.

The sound of her mother's voice calling her to the dinner table rang through her ears as she passed the kitchen. Her father's heavy laugh boomed off the walls when she walked into the living room. The gentleness in both their voices when they would tell her that they loved her just before she'd go to bed when she opened the door to her bedroom. The memories were crashing into her like waves from the ocean just before a storm.

This feeling. The one she currently held in her chest. The feeling of a thousand pounds crushing down on her. The struggle to breath. A feeble attempt to stop the tears from streaming down her face. Was why she ran. It was overwhelming.

She felt it like it had only happened yesterday and not years ago. One day her parents were there. They were all laughing. She was going over her restaurant plans with her father. She could see that he was proud of her. The way his chest stuck out a little more. The way he smiled at her when she went over her business plan. The way he shook her hand, just as he would have done to any of his business partners before pulling her in for a bone crushing hug. The only kind her father knew how to give. The way her mother had winked and smiled at her from across the room. Silently telling her that she'd done a good job.

She was the person that they loved most in the world and although they had some disagreements, they never let her go one day without knowing how much they loved her. And they had been the most important people in her life. She loved them more than she could ever have expressed. One day they were there and then the next … they were gone. She couldn't process those feelings. It shattered her entire world.

Beca sat down heavily on the bed knowing that the next few days were going to be hard. She'd ignored everything for so long, only doing the minimum. Occasionally signing a few documents and having them air mailed back to New York.

But Beca made a list. On the seemingly endless plane ride to New York, she'd made a list. She reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and pulled out the list that was written on a torn out page of a sky mall magazine with a pen she'd borrowed from the lady across the aisle from her. She reread through her scribbled list of things she needed to do. PH and contents, London, lawyer, Dad's cars, JM Corp, BFD. She read the last item on the list several times. It was going to be the hardest and the easiest for her to part with.

Beca reached into the other pocket of her coat and retrieved her cell phone. She searched for her lawyer's contact number and quickly pressed call. She needed to meet with him to go over everything on the list. To make plans for her parent's things. Things she hadn't touched in six years. Things she didn't want. To make arrangements for her father's business. She needed her family lawyer's advice and would spend as much time tomorrow as it took to take care of everything so she could put it behind her. So she didn't have anything to run from anymore. So she could face the future. A future that hopefully had a redhead in it. Beca listened as the receptionist asked her to hold and a few seconds later the man greeted her.

"I'm in New York." She stated and listened, "Yes. I want to make arrangements. I'll meet you tomorrow at 9:00am."

 **XxXxXx**

She was a jeans, t-shirt, boots and leather jacket type girl. She knew she was but now as she took a step back to look at herself in the large mirror, it was obvious. She looked fine but she felt uncomfortable. The high heels and custom made suit fit her perfectly and it was more than appropriate for the day she was going to have but she felt almost suffocated by it.

Finally satisfied that this was as good as it was going to get, Beca turned around and collected her bag. The one she'd found in her closet last night when she couldn't sleep.

"Don't look at me like that." She said to Tuck who laid patiently on the floor watching her intently. "It's just for today dude. Then I'm burning this suit." She said as she carried on the conversation with her dog in her mind.

She made her way to the front door and took one last look at her parent's home. She'd be back later to collect her things but if everything went as she assumed they would, the home would belong to someone else by the close of business today. She looked down at Tuck who followed her from the bedroom to the door. "Don't eat or pee … on anything." She said pleadingly. She knew he wouldn't do anything but lay on the floor looking at the door until she returned but she felt the need to say it out loud. The elevator door dinged loudly and Beca turned. She took a deep breath and took a step into the metal box. She turned to watch Tuck lay down slowly on the floor as the doors closed in front of her.

 **XxXxXx**

Many hours later as she rode the elevator back up to the pent house with Tuck by her side, after a long walk in central park, Beca felt a mix of emotions. She'd never felt such a conflict. She felt lighter, knowing that she'd made the right decisions today but at the same time she felt like she was dragging her body through the house she once owned. She felt weighed down by all the emotions that had been swirling within her all day. She trudged through the house and into the living room. She sat down heavily on the edge of the sofa and immediately dropped her head into her hands. Not even sure when the tears actually started to flow, Beca cried. She cried more than she'd ever remembered crying in her life.

She cried for her mother. They shared the same brown hair and every time Beca looked in the mirror she could see her mother.

She cried for her father. She was daddy's little girl. The apple of his eye and all the cliché things a little girl is to her dad. Everything he had done, he'd done for his wife and daughter. He was that man. And Beca knew he loved her more than anything in the world. She knew that's why he did the things he did and even though she pushed back and fought him when she was a teenager, the way teenagers do, she knew now that he did it for her. For her future.

Beca's body was so tired. So much had happened in the last 72 hours. After a few unsuccessful attempts to calm herself and stop the tears, she gave up. Beca slowly laid herself down on her side on the couch. She tucked her feet up behind her and wrapped herself in the smallest ball she could fit in. She felt the sofa dip and then a heavy head lay across her legs.

 **XxXxXx**

The next morning it felt like someone had glued her eyes shut. She rolled over on the couch carefully, tucking her leg behind Tuck who was still laying at her feet, the ever obedient friend. The two of them were meant to find each other. They were soulmates of sorts. Both having been abandoned. Both left alone in the world. Since the day she found him on the side of the road in Mexico, they were inseparable.

It took her several minutes to blink enough to lubricate her eyes so she could finally open them. Beca didn't know what time it was but she knew it was early in the morning. She could tell by the shadows and the light that was beginning to pour through the windows of the building.

She laid there noting how today already felt different. She felt different. Yesterday she'd made all the hard decisions. She'd tied up as many loose ends as she could. Parted with things she didn't want.

She'd finally cried for the loss of her parents. She'd let out all the pent up emotions she'd been unwilling to deal with. She cried herself to sleep and waking up now, she felt at peace. Last night she let go of her parent's things. She'd always have them in her heart and in her memories but now it was time for her to leave her past in New York. It wasn't who she wanted to be. It never was. She'd felt at home in Cabo, with her friends. In the short time she'd spent with Chloe.

A small smile made its way to Beca's face when she thought of the beautiful redhead that she met that night on the beach. The way she stared up at the fireworks. The way her eyes twinkled when she smiled that bright beautiful smile. The way their hands fit in each other's. Chloe. An idea crept into her mind. The idea of home. Her eyes glanced around the room at the things she grew up around. The items that surrounded her were hers and her parents, until yesterday when she'd sold the penthouse and most of it's contents. There were a few personal possessions of her parents she would collect today and be out by noon as promised. But now laying on the couch, surrounded by such familiar things it didn't feel like home. She couldn't stop the thought that maybe Cabo was home. But the more she thought about it, it was just a place. Maybe home wasn't a place. Maybe for her, home was the people she was with. Her crazy friends ... were her family, yes but ... were they her home? The image of half of Chloe's face lit up by the flames of the fire that night on the beach took over her mind. Home. Chloe. Maybe Chloe ... could be home. Beca's head popped up from the couch at the thought. She looked down to her feet at the white dog curled around her legs.

"Wanna go see Chloe?" Beca asked her voice raspy.

Tuck's head shot up quickly.

Beca smiled. "Me too."

 **XxXxXx**

 **BILLINGS – PRESENT DAY**

She'd missed the sunrise for the first time in four days but for the first time in four days, she had something more mesmerizing, more beautiful to look at so she didn't really mind. Chloe couldn't take her eyes off of Beca as they sat on the swing in the early Montana morning. Beca held her breath as she waited for Chloe's response. Hoping the actress would be willing to give her another chance. She wasn't sure she deserved one but she knew she'd never forgive herself for not trying.

Chloe stood from the porch swing. She stood quickly and looked down at Beca. "You look tired." She said the first thing that came to her mind. "You should come inside."

Beca watched Chloe turn and walk into the house. There was a chance Chloe wouldn't be happy at her sudden reappearance and Beca knew that. She was willing to take that chance. But seeing Chloe pull away from her and walk into the house was something she wasn't expecting. Beca pushed herself from the porch swing and followed in the direction Chloe had gone. She walked into the house to see the actress standing with her back to her facing the kitchen counter.

"Chloe" Beca said softly. "I know you pissed at me for leaving without telling you"

Chloe stopped her, "I'm not pissed at you." She said as she pushed herself off the counter and turned back towards Beca. "I'm having a hard time accepting that you're here and that your saying all the things I want to hear." Chloe blushed. "I feel like there's a big giant catch looming and I don't know what it is and it's kind of freaking me out."

Beca walked through the house and joined Chloe in the kitchen. "There's not really a catch."

"Not really?" Chloe asked.

Beca shrugged and shook her head. "No."

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again. You just left without saying anything. Why did you do that? Why did you have to go home?" Chloe asked. "What did you have to do?"

Beca knew this was coming. She knew she'd have to tell Chloe about her past. More about her parents and why she disappeared on her five days ago.

"I'm sorry" Beca apologized gently. "I promise I'm going to tell you. I want to tell you." She admitted. "I want you to know me. Know everything about me"

"But" Chloe supplied with a sighed.

"But first there is something that I want. That I … need." Beca breathed heavily.

"What?" Chloe whispered. She could feel the temperature in the room rising quickly.

"I want to kiss you so badly." Beca admitted as her eyes dropped from crystal blue to Chloe's pink lips.

Chloe followed Beca's eyes and nodded ever so slightly. "Kay" was all she could manage to say.

They'd only ever kissed once. The one time on the beach. Before the whole Luke fiasco. And it was quick. And Beca had been a little surprised by it and before she could really get involved in the lip lock, it was over. Suddenly she was nervous as she stood toe to toe with Chloe. There was nothing stopping her. She swallowed hard as she began to lean forward. Her left hand raised up, intending to touch Chloe's cheek, but suddenly unsure if Chloe would like that she decided to drop her hand back down. It flung carelessly in the air in all directions as she was unable to decide what to do with the appendage.

Chloe's eyes broke from Beca's and towards the hand that was moving next to her. She gently placed her hand on Beca's forearm to calm the brunette and pull her slightly closer.

"Okay." Beca said nervously. "I'm gonna do it." Beca announced determined.

Chloe parted her lips slightly and closed her eyes in anticipation.

Beca felt Chloe's fingers squeeze tighter around her forearms. She felt herself leaning forward slightly or at least she thought she was but she wasn't 100% sure she was moving at all. "Okay" Beca whispered to herself.

"Becs" Chloe said softly as her eyes began to open slightly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so nervous" Beca admitted quickly. "I mean this is like ... a moment. A huge freaking moment and what if it sucks?"

Chloe recoiled slightly as she tried to pull herself out of the daze she was in so she could focus on what Beca was rambling.

"I mean it won't … suck." Beca raised her eyebrows. She knew she was losing it quickly but she was nervous and she couldn't stop the words from flowing out of her mouth. "You're a great kisser. And I'm good I think. I mean do people usually tell you if you're a good kisser or not? Because if that's the case then maybe I'm not but I'm just saying that this is going to be like our first kiss. Well not our first. It's technically our second if you don't count the kiss on the cheek and then it would be our third." Beca shook her head. "Of course … no … that doesn't count. So it's technically our second but really our first … like real kiss … and like a huge step in our relationship."

Chloe's eye brows shot up.

"Oh God." Beca snapped quickly. "No. I didn't mean that we are in a relationship. I mean not yet? But I want to be … in one … with … you." Beca closed her eyes slowly and dropped her head. "Oh God, I swear I'm not this girl. I'm not like all relationship crazy and needy." Her head shot up quickly as she continued with large eyes that darted around quickly avoiding Chloe's penetrating stare, "But that's probably exactly what all the crazies say. I'm sorry. I'm ruining this."

"Beca" Chloe said softly pulling Beca's eyes back up to hers. "Breath."

Beca nodded quickly as she took a deep breath.

"Better?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah" Beca smiled.

Chloe leaned forward closing the distance between them but stopped suddenly when Beca's mouth opened up wide.

"Oh God" Beca said through her yawn. She tried to fight it as best she could but she just couldn't close her jaw.

Chloe's forehead landed on Beca's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry" Beca forced out still yawning. She could feel Chloe's head wobbling on her shoulder probably from laughing at her. Her suspicions were confirmed when a giggle left Chloe's mouth.

Once Chloe was certain Beca was done yawning, she dropped her hold on the brunette's forearms and wrapped her arms around Beca's shoulders as she turned her head to bury her face in the crook of Beca's neck. She felt Beca's arms wrap around her waist and pull her tightly towards her. It felt good to be pressed up against Beca like this. She could stay this way for a long time, just holding each other, but she knew that Beca was tired. "Maybe you should go lay down for a while." Chloe suggested. "Get some sleep."

"Yeah" Beca agreed softly. She was tired. She had been going pretty much non-stop since she left Cabo. She was able to get a couple hours of rest here and there but it was now catching up to her. "That's probably a good idea."

Chloe reluctantly pushed back from Beca's hold so that the brunette could get some much needed sleep. But it happened so quickly that she didn't even feel Beca's hands drop from her hips and move to cup the sides of her face. She was being tugged back towards the brunette softly and before she realized what was happening she felt Beca's lips on hers. Her eyes closed instantly as she felt her body relax. Beca's lips released hers and repositioned themselves quickly, taking her bottom lip and gently sucking on it. Her arms tightened around Beca's neck when she felt Beca's warm tongue glide across her bottom lip just before it was released. Their lips met again instantly as Beca's hands slid back off Chloe's face and into her hair. Her fingers dug into Chloe's scalp as red hair threaded between her fingers. She turned her head to the opposite side, lips twisting together, as she repositioned herself. Chloe stumbled backwards slightly until she felt herself pressed up against the counter. Beca's body quickly followed.

Beca felt slightly off balance. Whether from the stumbling forward with Chloe attached to her or the actual kiss she wasn't sure but she removed her hands from Chloe's hair and placed them on the counter she currently had Chloe pressed tightly against. Chloe's hands untangled from behind Beca's neck and slid slowly over the top of her shoulders and began down her chest stopping just below the chef's collarbone. The kiss slowed. Chloe's lips had captured Beca's bottom lip at some point but was reluctant to release it as her mouth pulled away from the brunettes.

Once they were free from each other, Chloe rested her forehead against Beca's. It was like a dream. Like a scene in a movie. She'd had several kissing scenes in her line of work but they were never fun to do. There were always people standing around watching you. Sometimes people would be having an entire conversation less than 10 feet away while she was trying to perform the scene. And the scene would always have to be performed several times so the director could capture different angles never mind the fact that she didn't really want to be kissing whom ever she her love interest in the film was and that everyone around you, staring, were bored and waiting for someone to call lunch. When she'd watch the scene back in the movie, it was completely different. You couldn't hear the people having a conversation in the back ground anymore. You couldn't tell that the shots were taken from several different takes. And it didn't feel forced. It felt intimate and that's how she felt right now. Like she was in a movie. Her lips felt swollen in the best possible way. Her tongue tingled blissfully. The sound of her breath was the only thing she could hear and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her eyes opened slowly and focused on the slight upward curve of Beca's lips that were slightly parted and still very close to hers. She had many thoughts but Beca's lips had effectively taken her breath away. She wanted to tell Beca how she was feeling. Wanted to tell her it was the best kiss she'd ever had but her brain couldn't form the words. She could only feel her chest heaving and the swirling of butterflies in her stomach and the wanting tingle between her legs. She wanted to tell her so many things but the only thing she could get out was, "wow" which was forced out breathlessly.

* * *

 **AN: Cliché? I can't tell. You tell me... Happy New Year Pitches!**

 **Song Title Cred: Bishop Briggs, Dream**


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13: I'VE NEVER FALLEN FROM QUITE THIS HIGH FALLING INTO YOUR OCEAN EYES

Beca slowly floated back into consciousness. She could feel heat at her feet that were hanging out of the soft quilt that her hands were twisted up in. She slowly opened her eyes to take stock of her situation.

After an incredible kiss with Chloe in the kitchen, she decided to lay down for a couple of hours on the couch in the living room. Chloe had suggested she lay down in the bedroom but Beca insisted she only needed a couple of hours and the couch would be fine. If she laid in the bed, she'd probably sleep the entire day away. Beca looked down at her bare feet that she could have sworn were covered by socks and shoes when she laid down. But now her jeans stopped at her ankles and her feet were being kept warm by the fire that was now burning in something that looked like the very first fireplace ever made.

While her body was waking up Beca looked to the right to see Chloe sitting in an oversized chair across the room. Her right leg was bent and tucked under her while her left foot rested on Tucks back as she read something. Beca's eyes fell to the floor to her trusty side kick who was now laying at the base of the chair Chloe was sitting in. She narrowed her eyes at the dog who was looking right at her. It was probably just her imagination but she could have sworn that Tuck narrowed his eyes at her teasingly. "Traitor" she mouthed to him.

Beca gently cleared her throat to speak, "hey" she said groggily. Beca watched as Chloe's head popped up and turned to look at her.

"Hey" Chloe replied with a large smile.

"What time is it?" Beca asked as she began to push herself up to a seated position.

"Just after 6." Chloe answered.

"Six?" Beca said loudly. "I'm so sorry Chloe. I didn't want to sleep all day."

"It's fine." Chloe said closing whatever she was reading and unfolding her leg. She put her feet far enough out on the floor to miss Tuck and stood up to cross the room joining Beca on the couch a few seconds later. "You were tired. And needed to rest." Chloe said tucking a stray strand of hair behind Beca's ear.

"What have you been doing all day?" Beca asked guiltily.

"Well. Milly came by earlier." Chloe began.

"Milly. So Lily really has a twin?" Beca interrupted her.

Chloe nodded emphatically. "I thought it was Lily the first time I saw her. You know how there is something that can help you tell twins apart?" Chloe asked, "Well, not them. They are identical. It's so freaky."

Beca smirked.

"Anyway" Chloe shrugged and continued, "She dropped of some fresh groceries and some mail." Chloe held up her reading material. "This is the script for my next movie. Aubrey mailed it, so I've been reading it for the last hour or so."

Beca looked at the large thick white packet that Chloe had laying in her lap.

"Before that, Tuck and I went for a walk which was nice. I found his food and your bag in your truck so I brought all that in." Chloe explained.

Beca nodded as she followed along.

"But other than that, I've just been" Chloe paused. She was embarrassed.

"What?" Beca asked.

"Just watching you sleep." Chloe admitted shyly. "Sorry … I just can't believe you're really here."

"I'm here." Beca said softly. She pushed herself up further so that she could kiss the redhead.

Chloe caught on and leaned down to meet Beca halfway. Their lips met tenderly as they kissed slowly. Chloe smiled into the kiss and pulled back slowly letting her eyes flutter open. "I really like doing that."

"Me too." Beca agreed.

The room fell silent as Beca laid back down on the couch. Chloe's hands found Beca's left foot and immediately began rubbing it gently, neither girl in a hurry to move or break their current bubble. Until Beca's stomach growled.

Chloe giggled as she turned her head towards the brunette. "When was the last time you ate?"

Beca shrugged from her position on the couch. "I had a coffee at the airport yesterday. And maybe half a bagel? I don't really remember."

"Babe." Chloe whined. "You're starving. I can make us something. It's been getting pretty cool here in the evening. That's why I have the fire going" she said as pointed to the fire just across from them. "I think Milly brought over the stuff to make a pot of soup. I can make that if you want."

Beca didn't hear anything after the word 'babe' fell from Chloe's mouth. She didn't think the redhead caught it because she continued speaking as if she'd said that to her every day for the last several years. It felt natural coming out of Chloe's mouth and it felt good to hear it.

"Beca?" Chloe questioned pulling the chef out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Beca asked looking into Chloe's twinkling eyes.

"Did you hear me?" Chloe asked.

Beca shook her head. "Not at all." She admitted with a smile.

Chloe's brow furrowed questioningly. "Oookaaay" She drew out. "I'm going to make us some dinner." She said as she patted Beca's leg a couple of times and lifted them off her lap.

Beca watched her circle around the couch and then lean over the back. "You want I wouldn't be opposed to you helping me. You know since you are the one here who is a professional chef." Chloe winked.

Beca tossed the quilt off of her and pushed herself up and then off the couch. She followed the same path Chloe took around the couch and grabbed the redhead's outstretched hand and allowed herself to be pulled into the small kitchen.

 **XxXxXx**

At some point, Beca wasn't sure when, Chloe pushed herself up to sit on top of the already limited counter space. She was tearing off small pieces of the loaf of fresh French bread Milly had delivered as she watched Beca work in the kitchen. It was mesmerizing for her to watch Beca move through the kitchen so confidently. They'd made some small talk while Beca cut and chopped but nothing serious. But Chloe felt like the moment was safe to open up the lines of communication. Better to get it out there instead of putting if off she thought.

"You're sexy in the kitchen." Chloe said with a smirk.

Beca let out one single laugh that shook her shoulders. "You think?"

Chloe nodded. "I do."

Beca flashed a flirty smile over her shoulder as she continued her task. Her hands stopped instantly when Chloe spoke again.

"You should open your own restaurant when you go back to Cabo." Chloe said testing the waters. She noticed that Beca's actions ceased. She decided to continue, "you know, one of those ones where you cook in front so that everyone there can see how sexy you are."

Beca picked up the dish towel that was laying on the counter next to her. She wiped her hands and turned around to face the redhead and leaned back on the counter.

"You could just ask me Chloe." Beca said seeing straight through Chloe's comment. It was the tone of the actress's voice that gave her away. It was doubtful and gentle. It wasn't flirty like it had been seconds ago.

"Are you going to go back?" Chloe asked nervously. "To Cabo?"

Beca tossed the towel back to the counter and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "I don't know. I mean probably ... eventually." She answered honestly.

"Eventually." Chloe repeated.

"Yeah. But not any time soon." Beca smiled. "I meant what I said earlier Chlo. I want to be here with you. I want to see where this goes. What we can be."

"But I don't know how much longer I'll be here." Chloe said softly. "I'll have to go back to LA soon."

"Okay" Beca said with a shrug.

"You're going to come with me to LA?" Chloe questioned doubtfully.

Beca's face dropped. Maybe Chloe didn't want her to follow her to LA. Maybe she'd misunderstood.

"I mean, you freaked out in Cabo at those picture of us. It will be a hundred times worse than that in LA Becs. I know you don't want that kind of life." Chloe said looking intently at the chef.

"I did." Beca admitted. "I freaked out. But … I" Beca paused and thought carefully but there wasn't any other way to say it, "I just want to be with you. And I hope that it won't be like that forever? I don't know … I mean you would know better than me."

"It probably wouldn't be like that forever but it would for a while. Seriously though, what changed Beca?" Chloe asked. "I mean I want you to come because I want to be with you but … what changed in the last week? What you said … hurt me." Chloe admitted.

Beca pulled her hands from her jeans and crossed the room letting her hands land on Chloe's thighs. "I know and I'm sorry. Seeing you cry. Knowing that, I made you cry was so …" Beca shook her head. She didn't have the words that could effectively express how sorry she was. "But things are different know. Please believe me."

"What's different?" Chloe asked.

"I've been running from my past and I needed to deal with it." Beca began to explain. She hoped that Chloe would understand. "Back in Cabo when everything came out I knew that there would be things about me and my family that would come to light and I didn't want you to be involved in any of that."

Chloe looked confused as she listened carefully to Beca whose dark blue eyes looked up at her.

"My parents owned a few companies and I've been putting off selling them just because I didn't want to deal with the finality of it. I mean, there is no way I want any part of running my father's company, but I also didn't want to sell it because it's the last piece of my family that I have. And letting go of the businesses would be like getting rid of my parents." Beca shrugged. "It's dumb. I know."

"If that's how you felt then it's not dumb" Chloe interrupted.

"Thanks" Beca whispered.

"So you went back to New York and what? Sold all your parents things?" Chloe asked.

Beca nodded gently. "Well … yeah." She said with a smile that faded just as quickly as it had formed. "My dad." She took a deep breath knowing this was the part she didn't want to explain to anyone, let alone to Chloe. "He loved his family. And everything he did in business was so that me and my mom would never want for anything." She began. "But he had some questionable dealings."

Chloe wasn't sure the expression that formed on her face but she could tell that whatever it was alarmed Beca enough for her to blurt, "not like the mob or anything like that and nothing that was ever proven but" Beca stopped and dropped her eyes. "Anyway it was questionable and there will always be talk surrounding his name. I didn't want to that to be linked back to you in any way. I still might but it's better now that I'm officially not involved in my dad's companies. "

"I thought you said your dad invested in restaurants." Chloe said questioningly.

"Yeah at first." Beca answered. "Then New York real estate and property development which can be really cutthroat. He was accused of some dirty business practices while I was away at school. There was nothing really concrete but the rumors are out there."

"Beca." Chloe whispered. "Please look at me."

Beca raised her head and met Chloe's gaze.

"That doesn't have anything to do with you." The redhead said softly as she laid her hands on top of Beca's.

"No it doesn't and until two days ago, I've been on the board of directors as a silent partner. I've never voted. Never even attended any meetings." Beca said confidently. "And I wanted to sell it anyway but I never really had a reason to let go of them … until … you."

"Why me?" Chloe asked.

"I wish I knew" Beca smiled and shook her head.

"Don't laugh" Chloe warned.

"Seriously. I don't know Chloe but when I look at you I think of things I haven't thought about in years. I see things I didn't even think were possible." Beca replied.

"Like what?" Chloe questioned softly.

"A future outside of cooking for vacationers." Beca smirked. "I see someone who I want to be with. Someone who I can't seem to figure out how I've lived this long without."

Chloe blushed.

"And I know it's like so soon to be saying that, like I literally met you 8 days ago, and that freaks me the fuck out but … its how I feel." Beca whispered. "So I went back and I sold my parent's house and I sold my father's cars and I sold my father's businesses. So I could be with you. Without all of that hanging over my head. Over our head."

"Businesses?" Chloe asked.

"Oh." Beca said with a breath. "Yeah … JM Corp. And BFD Records."

"What?" Chloe asked.

Beca wasn't sure what she said to confuse Chloe but she could see from the look on the actresses face that something had her confused.

"My dad's company was JM Corp. His name was James Mitchell, he named it after himself." Beca said rolling her eyes.

"No. The other one."

"BFD Records." Beca said slowly.

"You owned a record label?" Chloe asked with large eyes.

Beca shrugged. "My dad did."

"Beca, you could have pursued your passion. You could have made music and you had your very own label to be able to do it." Chloe said quickly.

Beca shook her head. "I love music Chlo. I do. But my dad bought that label when I told him I wanted to be a producer. He never wanted me to struggle so he thought he could just give me that and it would appease me. We fought so hard about that because that's not what I wanted. I wanted to make it myself. I didn't want to do it because my daddy bought it for me."

Chloe nodded. She understood.

"So I dropped out of college and told him I wasn't going to work at BFD. I told him I was going to LA to make it on my own and he wouldn't allow it. He said I needed something to fall back on and that's when I decided to go to culinary school." Beca shrugged. "I think it worked out for the best because I love music and I really liked DJing at Mas a couple times a week but I love being a chef more."

"Okay?" Chloe questioned. "So if you're not going back to Cabo and you're going to come to LA with me … what are you going to do? For like a job?"

"I don't need a job." Beca said quickly. "I've got a super-hot actress sugar mama who will take care of me." She winked playfully.

"Oh really?" Chloe questioned with a giggle.

"Yeah." Beca smiled as she reached up on her tip toes.

Chloe shook her head and leaned down to meet Beca's lips with her own. Beca pulled away after a brief kiss, "plus I'm like super fucking rich sooo" She teased as she went back in and captured Chloe's lips with her own.

* * *

 **AN: Wrapping this up guys. I usually go longer than this but this story has one more chapter that will be posted on Sunday. Hope you are still enjoying this.**

 **Song Title Cred: Billie Eilish; Ocean Eyes**


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14: YOU SO FUCKING PRECIOUS WHEN YOU SMILE

 **3 ½ Weeks Later**

She couldn't fight the smile that formed on her face. She'd woken up with her head resting on Beca's bare stomach and since she wasn't one to sleep in, like the brunette, Chloe gently crawled out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen. She picked up Beca's flannel shirt that had been tossed to the floor last night and shrugged it over her shoulders, not bothering to button it before slipping into her lace panties that were also haphazardly discarded last night.

Chloe placed the mug down gently on the plastic platter she found in the bottom of one of the cabinets, using it as a makeshift tray. She felt a shiver run through her as she reached for the full tray. The mornings were still a little chilly even though it approached May. Chloe quietly made her way through the small cabin and into the bed room where Beca was still sleeping. Chloe smiled as she silently placed the tray down on the small bedside table. Since she'd been in the kitchen making breakfast and coffee, Beca had managed to turn on her side and pull the thick feather blanket up over her shoulders, allowing only a small portion of her head to show. Chloe lifted the blanket slowly and up only enough to allow herself to crawl under so Beca wouldn't catch a draft. She gently scooted herself up to Beca's back, pressing her body up against the chef tightly.

"Shit" Beca mumbled. "You're feet are fucking cold."

Chloe smiled as she wrapped her arms tightly around Beca when she ran her ice cold feet against the brunette's warm ones. "Because I was making you coffee." Chloe answered with a soft kiss to Beca's neck.

"Umm coffee" Beca said with a deep breath. "That's nice."

Chloe kissed Beca gently as she slid her hands down Beca's torso.

"But this is nice too." Beca said huskily as she pressed her ass back into Chloe's front.

Chloe rolled Beca over onto her back, pulling down the blanket and straddling her hips in one movement. The thick covers landed just behind her, still covering Beca's legs, as she ground her hips down slowly over Beca's.

Beca's hands immediately grasped Chloe's hips tightly leading the redhead in the slow sensual movement. Her dark blue eyes focusing on Chloe. Her blue lace underwear that were covering her most sensitive area. The flannel shirt that hung open covering the outer half of each breast. The look of want on her face. She let one hand move to cover the top of Chloe's underwear as her thumb slipped lower over the fabric just enough to tease the actress.

"I don't know why you keep getting up every morning to make breakfast." Beca said as her thumb pressed softly over Chloe's covered clit. "We never eat it." She smirked.

Chloe ground down onto her harder as she let her hand's land slightly behind her, gripping onto Beca's legs. "Are you complaining?" Chloe asked breathless.

Beca shook her head slowly as she watched Chloe above her. The past three weeks, waking up with the redhead, usually like this, had been the best of her life. "Never" Beca whispered.

Chloe couldn't take it anymore. Her hips moving into Beca's. The darkness of Beca's blue eyes. The content look on her face. The way Beca's hand was teasing her in the best possible way. The sound of her voice and the honesty in her single word. Chloe's hands moved from bracing herself on Beca's thighs to the mattress on either side of her head. Pitching forward changed the angle in which she was rubbing herself against Beca in just the right way. She leaned down, slowly capturing Beca's lips between hers for a soft kiss. She pulled back just enough to make a request. "Make love to me."

Beca pushed herself up and gently rolled Chloe so that she was hovering over her so she could do just as Chloe had asked.

 **XxXxXx**

She knew she was pouting. But she didn't care. Chloe crossed her arms over her chest as she sat on the couch refusing to help in anyway.

"Seriously babe" Beca said as she rolled Chloe's suitcase behind her.

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "I don't want to go." Chloe said childishly.

"We've already been here for 10 days longer than we told Aubrey we'd be." Beca said as she walked back in the bedroom to collect her bag and do one final sweep to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

"So what's another few days?" Chloe asked loudly knowing Beca would hear her from the bedroom.

"That's exactly what you said 5 days ago." Beca said with a smile as she returned to the living room with her bag.

"I like it here." Chloe huffed.

"So do I" Beca agreed.

"Then let's say" Chloe said hopeful.

Beca stood motionless for a moment. She wasn't considering it. She knew they needed to get to LA. She knew Aubrey would be even more pissed than she was 5 days ago if they didn't show up like they said they would. Again.

The first time she was all about missing their flight without even telling Aubrey until the blonde called fuming from LAX where she was waiting to meet them. They both got an earful over the phone that night. Even though Chloe rolled her eyes and giggled at her best friends rant over the phone before pushing Beca down roughly on the bed and crawling on top of her while Aubrey called out to them through the phone that was tossed somewhere on the same bed as they ignored her until she hung up. Beca didn't need to hear anymore guilt tripping from Aubrey about the scheduled meetings Chloe had that needed to be cancelled last minute. She didn't need to hear how unprofessional that was and she didn't care to hear Chloe defending her to Aubrey anymore insisting that 'it wasn't Beca's fault.'

Chloe watched Beca, praying she was changing her mind and they were going to stay.

"We need to get back." Beca said softly knowing Chloe would not like that answer.

Chloe's head flopped back on the couch as a groan escaped her lips. "Why?" she drug out dramatically.

"Because" Beca sighed, she was going to say it all again and hope that Chloe would finally agree with her. "We can't hide out here forever." She knelt down at Chloe's legs and placed her hands softly on Chloe's thighs.

"Why not?" Chloe whined as her head lifted and their eyes met.

"Because. As nice as this is." Beca said sweetly, "and it's been amazing. Like really, the best 3 weeks of my life" she smiled, "it's not real life Chlo."

Chloe frowned. She knew Beca was right.

"We need to get to LA and start our life there." Beca said as she gently ran her hands up and down Chloe's legs hoping to comfort the actress. "Aubrey said there are meetings you need to be at and there are apartments I need to look for."

Chloe huffed loudly as her eyes narrowed. "You could just live in my house."

Beca smiled and shook her head while she patted Chloe's legs. She stood up straight and reached her hand out for Chloe to take. "We've already talked about that babe."

Chloe stubbornly sat still, not reaching for Beca's hand.

"We're not moving in together. You know that's not the right thing to do." Beca said for what felt like the hundredth time. "We're just starting out and I want us to try and be as normal as possible."

"Normal" Chloe repeated sarcastically.

"Yes." Beca smiled. "Normal people don't move in with each other after less than a month. It's gonna happen babe. But it's not happening any time soon."

"You suck." Chloe replied childishly.

Beca saw the opportunity and took it. "Maybe tonight, but only if you're a good girl." She finished with a wink.

Chloe rolled her eyes and shook her head as she lost the battle with the smile that she was fighting.

 **XxXxXx**

"Here's your ticket information for your flight." Aubrey said as she pushed send on the email. She listened to the swoosh sound on the phone in her hand and seconds later heard the chime from Chloe's device that sat on the table across from her. "You leave on the 18th which is next Tuesday."

"Okay" Chloe replied from the kitchen. "You want some water?"

"Sure" Aubrey answered.

"CR?" Chloe asked.

"Yes. Thank you." CR answered.

Chloe sat a water bottle down in front of each women before joining them at the table. She picked up her phone and closed Aubrey's email notification. She opened up her text message app hoping to have something new from her girlfriend.

"When does Beca get back?" CR asked as she watched her friend frown.

Chloe sat the phone back down on the table before answering. "Couple of weeks."

CR nodded and swallowed, "wow. She's been gone a long time."

Aubrey gave CR a look of 'really' but the publicist missed it.

"Yeah" Chloe sighed and shrugged. "She left 17 days ago."

Aubrey rolled her eyes as Chloe spoke sadly. She was happy her best friend was in love. She was happy her best friend was happy but listening to Chloe's sighs and mumbles and whines and sad voice every day for the last 17 days was driving her nuts.

"Why so long?" CR asked.

"Well, Amy called and asked her to come. They booked really important back to back charters and they had to let Bumper go for some reason so Beca needed to be there to help and to train the new chefs that Amy hired." Chloe explained.

"Is she gonna meet up with you in New Zealand or do you have to wait until you get back in October?" CR asked.

"She said she'd come." Chloe smiled.

"But she's not going to stay the whole time." Aubrey said looking directly into Chloe's eyes. "And you're not going to make her."

CR watched the interaction between the two best friends.

"No. She can't stay. The process to get Tuck into the country is crazy. She'd have to get a pet exporter and he'd have to been in quarantine for a while prior. It's just too much." Chloe said returning her eyes and smile back to CR.

"And" Aubrey said urging Chloe to continue. She knew the actress had a way of using her feminine wiles to get what she wanted and Aubrey also knew from watching the couple over the last 2 months they'd been in LA that Beca was pretty much helpless against them.

"And, I'll be working so I need to be focused on work." Chloe rolled her eyes at the blonde before turning back to CR. "And not her sexy ass." She teased with a smile. "So, we agreed that she'd visit every couple of weeks over the three month shoot."

"And it's going well?" CR asked. She hadn't spent as much time around the couple as Aubrey had.

"It's amazing. She's amazing." Chloe's smile was blinding.

 **XxXxXx**

"Happy 6 month anniversary." Chloe said as she placed a kiss to Beca's shoulder.

"Oh no" Beca groaned. "I didn't know you were one of those girls." She said as she stretched her arms out above her head.

"What girls?" Chloe asked popping her head up quickly.

"Those crazy girls that count everything." Beca teased.

"I don't" Chloe said softly, "count … everything." She denied.

"No?" Beca questioned teasingly scrunching up her face.

Chloe stilled her facial features so she wouldn't look caught in her lie. "No."

"Oh. Okay. My bad." Beca said pretending to give up. "Come here." She opened her arms and Chloe immediately snuggled into them. She tucked her head under Beca's chin. Beca ran her hands slowly up and down the length of Chloe's back, dragging her fingertips over Chloe's goose bumped skin. "I'm gonna miss you." Beca whispered.

"Me too." Chloe breathed. She didn't want to think about Beca leaving New Zealand tomorrow. She didn't want to think about being without her girlfriend again.

"But you'll be home soon." Beca said softly as she continued to relax Chloe with her hands.

"11 more days." Chloe answered as her eye lids fluttered shut.

Beca pursed her lips together to keep from laughing. After she was able to calm herself she spoke again. "What's next after this?"

She felt Chloe's head try to shake. "Don't know." Chloe mumbled into Beca's collarbone. "Don't care. As long as I'm with you."

Beca smiled. "Do you ever get tired of being with me?" She asked.

Chloe's head snapped up. "What?" She asked quickly.

Looking down at her Beca asked again, "Do you ever get tired of being with me?"

"No. Of course not." Chloe answered quickly. Her confident answer washed away, "do you get tired of being with me?" Her voice was shy.

"No. I don't. You're great. You're amazing." Beca said honestly, which was enough for Chloe who laid her head back down on Beca. "But I mean, I know I have to get on your nerves." Beca added. "Maybe a little?"

"I don't know." Chloe replied. "I'm sure I get on your nerves too. Isn't that normal?"

"I guess." Beca answered. "It's good that it doesn't ever really escalate."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"You know. We don't have a lot of fights." Beca replied.

"No." Chloe sighed. "We've only had 3 fights. 4 if you count that disagreement" she emphasized the word, "about whether or not we were actually having our third fight … which we were."

It was getting hard and harder for Beca to keep herself from laughing as Chloe once again proved her point that she counted everything in their relationship.

"But they none of them were bad enough for me to not want to be around you." Chloe added sweetly.

"Thanks babe." Beca said dropping a kiss to the top of Chloe's head.

They laid for a few minutes in silence as Beca thought of what to say next. "So last night was amazing."

"Mhm" Chloe agreed as she instinctively nestled her body further into Beca's. "Amazing all four times."

Beca giggled. This was almost too easy. She couldn't believe Chloe hadn't caught on by now.

"Was it not?" Chloe asked feeling Beca's body move with laughter.

"No. No" Beca said quickly. "It was." She said as she wrapped her arms around Chloe tightly.

"Why were you laughing?" Chloe asked.

"Just thinking."

"About?" Chloe asked again.

"How much I love you." Beca whispered. She felt Chloe breath in her arms.

"Well, I hope it's a lot." Chloe teased. "Because I love you a lot and if you don't then this could get awkward pretty quick."

Beca rolled her eyes. "Of course it's a lot."

"I wouldn't know." Chloe said pretending to be sad. "You haven't told me yet today."

"No?" Beca questioned.

"Nope." Chloe said quickly. "And you only told me twice yesterday."

Beca barked a laugh. "Oh my God seriously Chloe?"

"What?" Chloe's head shot up. "You did when we woke up and right before you fell asleep."

Beca knew the look on her face had to be crazy because Chloe's face fell. "What?" the redhead questioned softly.

"How many dates have we been on?" Beca asked not having any idea but knowing Chloe would give her a number.

"21 official dates in 6 months." Chloe rattled off.

Beca widened her eyes hoping Chloe would see her point but still the redhead looked clueless. "How many times did I kiss you yesterday?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "On the lips?"

"Yeah sure on the lips" Beca rolled her eyes.

"Four." Chloe answered quickly but added after some thought, "We should kiss more."

"You count everything Chloe." Beca groaned as she arched her body backwards.

"No I don't" Chloe denied again.

"How many times to I breathe in an hour when I sleep?" Beca asked with a blank expression.

Chloe instantly stilled her body. "Oh my God. I count everything." She agreed as she dropped her head and buried it into Beca's neck.

Beca never felt so loved or ever smiled so big.

 **XxXxXx**

"Sooooo" Chloe sang as they closed their hotel room door behind them.

Beca sat down on the edge of the bed and let her body flop backwards, her arms stretched out.

"I did not see that coming." Chloe said as she sat down beside Beca on the bed. She looked over her shoulder at her girlfriend who looked up at the ceiling expressionless. "Did you?"

Beca shook her head negatively.

Chloe turned back and shrugged. "I mean, it's great. We should be totally happy for them right?" She asked trying to be chipper.

Beca shook her head positively.

Chloe didn't need to look to feel the difference in the two shakes. She could feel it in the movement of the bed. "Of course." She said quickly. She sat with her hands folded in her lap staring straight ahead at a TV that wasn't turned on. The room was silent as Chloe thought. Thought about all the things she told Aubrey about Beca. All the details that Aubrey didn't want to hear. All the intimate details that Beca would probably be upset about if she found out that they left the privacy of their bed. Well, now, probably when she found out.

Beca couldn't remove her eyes from the ceiling. Why did she have to tell Jesse all those things about Chloe? Why did she have to share so much? Because she loved the girl so much. Because she thought she was so sexy. Because she thought it was just 'guy talk' between her and Jesse. Because she thought it would never get back to Chloe. Because she had no idea that her best friend and Chloe's best friend were hooking up. And because up until 20 minutes ago in the lobby of the Beverly Hilton hotel, when Jesse dropped down to a knee and asked Aubrey to marry him did she ever think they spoke to each other.

"Is it weird?" Chloe asked turning slightly toward Beca but not enough to see her. "Is it weird that our best friends are … engaged … and we literally had no idea that they were even speaking to each other regularly?"

Beca sighed, "It's so fucking weird." Beca agreed.

"How did I not know?" Chloe questioned herself. "I mean, Bree's my best friend." She felt her eyes welling up with tears but she wasn't sure why. Was it because she was a bad friend? Did she spend too much time not listening to Aubrey? Did she spend too much time talking about her and Beca? Maybe Aubrey told her and she just didn't listen. "I think I'm a bad friend." She said quietly.

Beca lifted her head and looked at the back of her girlfriend. She heard the words Chloe spoke and she felt the same about her and Jesse. But she wasn't on the verge of tears the way Chloe was. Beca pushed herself up to her hands and scooted her legs backwards before repositioning them on either side of Chloe and scooting up to wrap her arms around the actress.

"Why are you crying?" Beca asked.

Chloe shrugged. "How could I not know? Why wouldn't she tell me?" Chloe sobbed. "I told her everything." Chloe eyes popped open wide as the words left her mouth.

The words rang in Beca's ears. "What?" She cleared her throat. "What did you tell her?"

The tears cleared up quickly as Chloe internally panicked. What was she going to say? "You know."

"No" Beca drug out. "I don't know."

"Just stuff." Chloe answered softly.

"Stuff?" Beca asked.

"Things." Chloe answered softly.

"Things." Beca repeated. "Like … what things?"

"You know. Details." Chloe answered softly.

"For example?" Beca asked.

Chloe took a breath. She was going to do it. She was going to bite the bullet and be honest. She thought quickly about the last 'detail' she shared with Aubrey. "For example, like how you did that one thing last month."

"What thing?" Beca asked.

"You know" Chloe said leaning back into Beca instinctively. "When we were up against the fridge." Chloe prayed that Beca wouldn't make her say specifically because she knew if she did, she get turned on. She was already getting turned on just thinking about it.

"No." Beca smiled. "I don't know." She knew.

"You know. When you like …" Chloe clenched her eyes shut tightly. Either Beca was going to be pissed that she told Aubrey or she wouldn't care and she would hopefully fuck her the same way in just a few minutes. "held your finger on my g-spot and then you know … did that thing on my clit." Chloe knew she was blushing.

"Oh" Beca sang loudly. "When you squirted?"

Chloe didn't answer. She'd had amazing sex with Beca since the very first time they'd done it. It was usually always different. At least a little bit. And it was always really good. She never had one single complaint it that department. Beca took very good care of her. But when that happened, she was a little embarrassed. That had never happened to her before.

"You told Aubrey that?" Beca asked softly.

Chloe nodded.

Beca felt relieved. "Okay good, cause I told Jesse." She admitted quickly.

Chloe's head turned quickly. "You did?" She questioned. Her voice pitch elevated.

"Uh. Yeah. That never happened to me before. You were the first girl that I've been with that had ever"

"Okay." Chloe said cutting her off. "Got it. I understand." She felt embarrassed again.

"So" Beca hesitated. "Do you and Aubrey talk about stuff like that a lot?" Beca asked.

Chloe shrugged. How was she going to answer that?

"Because I talk to Jesse a lot." Beca admitted. "He's my best friend and the only person I really trust … other than you … and things between us are so great. In all areas" Beca cleared her throat again. "And I just need to share it."

Chloe totally understood what Beca was saying. She'd be lying if some of their more adventurous bedroom detail didn't fly through her brain, wondering if Jesse knew about them.

"I hope you're not mad." Beca said nervously.

"No baby." Chloe sighed. "I'm not mad." She felt Beca's arms squeeze her tighter. "But only if you're not mad that I've probably told Aubrey about some things. You know … being my best friend and all."

"Of course not." Beca smirked.

A comfortable silence set in as Chloe let Beca hold her in the expensive hotel room.

"I still can't believe they didn't tell us." Chloe whispered.

Beca's eyes narrowed. Fucking Jesse she thought. "You don't think." Beca stopped speaking.

Chloe waited for a few seconds but Beca didn't continue. "Think what?" She asked.

"You don't think that … they …" Beca couldn't even make herself say it.

"That they …" Chloe said trying to help her girlfriend get it out, "are telling each other what we're telling them?"

It was a confusing sentence and Beca shook her head slightly to get the words out of her brain, "No. Worse. That they are … you know … doing what we're doing?" Beca questioned.

"I'm sure they are Beca. Their engaged. I'm sure they're sleeping with each other." Chloe said plainly.

"No Chloe." Beca released her hold on Chloe and turned her shoulders so the redhead could look at her. "That they are doing what we are telling them we're doing?"

Chloe let the words sink in. Could Aubrey be using her and Beca's adventurous side in her own life with Jesse? She knew Aubrey was a little high strung. She'd never known the blonde to be free with her sexual experiments. She was always a little more on the vanilla side.

Beca was convinced. She'd heard way too many of Jesse's stories about how he rocked a random girl's world but in actuality Beca tried to convince him that women don't actually like the stuff he was doing. She knew he had to be taking the things she'd told him about her and Chloe and applying it to him and Aubrey. He was always way to interested. And had too many questions. And now. It made sense.

"Ewwwww" Chloe sang out loudly.

"So fucking gross" Beca replied immediately.

"I'm going to kill Bree" Chloe said seriously but couldn't help but laugh right after.

"They're kind of perfect for each other." Beca said as she laughed with Chloe.

"Oh totes." Chloe agreed.

After their laughter died off, Chloe asked, "You're sure you're not mad? Because if I'd known they were seeing each other, I probably wouldn't have told Aubrey some of the things I did. You know, the more intimate things."

"Why?" Beca asked. She's pretty sure she knew why. It was probably the say reason she wouldn't have told Jesse.

"Because I wouldn't have wanted her to tell Jesse. Because he probably would have told you and I don't want you to be mad. I never said anything bad, I promise." Chloe said quickly.

"It's okay baby." Beca said gently. "I'm not mad. And I probably wouldn't have told him. Because if he told Bree and she told you, then you would know he knew and I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable around him knowing he knew. Not that he would make you feel uncomfortable on purpose. Jesse's not like that." Beca rambled.

"I'm going to kill Bree." Chloe said again. She wasn't. But she was gonna playfully punch her in the arm or something.

"Oh well." Beca shrugged. "Who cares?"

"Who cares?" Chloe questioned. "They know … stuff."

"Maybe." Beca said as she pulled Chloe's hair over one shoulder, opening up access to her neck. Beca leaned forwards and placed a gentle kiss on the soft skin. "But they don't know what we're about to do."

"And they never will." Chloe smiled.

 **XxXxXx**

"I'm Sandy Jennings and we are streaming live on 20th Century Fox's Facebook page in New York from the Museum of Modern Art at the premier of 'In the Sun'. I'm here with one of the film's stars. Chloe Beale." The reporter said angling the microphone in Chloe's direction.

"Hello" Chloe said happily adding a bright smile.

"This is crazy" the reporter said gesturing to their surrounds.

The bright lights moving in all different directions. Thousands of bright flashes flashing constantly. The hundreds of people milling around on the red carpet. Fans behind barricades screaming her name.

Beca stood back behind Chloe as she took the next interview in line. Chloe held her hand behind her as Beca stood out of the camera block. The actress squeezed slightly when the reporter mentioned the madness happening around them. Chloe knew this was still the worst part for Beca.

"You look gorgeous by the way." The reporter complemented.

"Aww thanks." Chloe smiled accepting the complement as she looked down at her black lacy gown. It was modest. It covered all her essential parts but the lace and sheer over the top as very sexy. At least that's what Beca's expression conveyed to her when she first saw her this evening.

"The film is amazing." The reporter gushed. "You're performance is so emotional and raw. The audience has no choice but to connect with your character."

"Oh" Chloe placed her free hand over her heart. "Thank you so much."

"Where did that come from? You're nothing like your character but yet your performance was so real. So honest." Beca heard the reporter ask.

"It wasn't that much of a reach really." Chloe chuckled. "I think" She turned her expression to a serious one, "Everyone can relate to a character like Jenna. Everything she did, she did for love. For the love of her young son. To protect him." Chloe shrugged. "I think love is the underlying emotion in everyone's life. The things we do in the name of it. The things we do because it's broken or how it affects us when we are scared to lose it." Chloe smiled. "And personally I was falling in love at the time so, it wasn't hard to get there."

"Falling in love?" The reporter questioned. "When was the movie shot?"

"A year and a half ago. In New Zealand." Chloe answered. "It was a really special time for me."

"And I see you brought you're lady with you." The reporter smiled around Chloe to Beca who was looking at everything happening around them.

"Hum?" She said quickly when she felt Chloe pull on her hand, bringing them shoulder to shoulder in front of the camera.

"I was just complimenting Chloe on her performance." The reporter said.

Beca smiled at the redhead who was beaming at her. She could see the love in Chloe's eyes. The appreciation for her just standing there with her. Holding her hand. Supporting her. "Well" She turned toward the report. "I haven't seen the movie yet but I was on set a little bit and I got to see some of the scenes and she's amazing." Beca winked with at Chloe with the eye that was farthest away from the camera.

"Everyone who worked on it was great. I'm sure the movie is going to be great." Beca said going to a stock answer that she and Aubrey had drilled millions of times since Beca started appearing to events with Chloe. It was in this moment she was grateful for Aubrey's insistent prepping.

"Okay. I'll let you guys get inside the museum. Have a great night ladies." The reporter said.

Chloe smiled at the reporter and stepped away. That was the last one. Now it was time for the movie. She felt Beca press her lips to her cheek softly. "I'm so proud of you." Beca whispered.

"But you haven't seen the movie yet." Chloe said as they walked hand in hand to where the showing of the movie was.

"That doesn't matter." Beca smiled. "I'm sure it's really good but that doesn't have anything to do with it. I'm proud of you for who you are. You've never once been fake. You've never once not been true to yourself and you're heart."

Chloe's heart swelled at Beca's words as they walked slowly.

"And I've never been more proud of you. Never been more proud to be with you." Beca smiled. "I love you."

They stopped just at the entrance of the large theatre that was almost completely filled. Some people were still walking around, mingling, making introductions. Chloe turned to Beca. "I love you too." She leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Beca's lips.

Beca pulled her head back so that Chloe could get a good look at her lips.

"Nope. You're good." Chloe said knowing that Beca didn't enjoy walking around with her lipstick all over her lips.

Beca let Chloe pull her into the movie theater. Happy that she finally had at least two hours to wait. At least two hours to try to breath and compose herself. In all honesty she was shocked that she'd held it together as long as she had. Shocked that Chloe couldn't tell something was up. Beca swallowed thickly as she sat down slowly in the seat next to Chloe. She glanced a look to her right, towards the actress, who was leaned over speaking to one of the other actors on the film. The little boy. The one that played her son in the movie. Gosh, he'd grown a bunch in a year and a half, Beca noticed.

"You okay?" Chloe asked after turning back to Beca.

'Shit' Beca thought. "Yeah" She managed to push out.

"Cause you look a little pale all of a sudden." Chloe said worry laced in her voice.

"No. I'm good." Beca lied. She could feel the room beginning to close in on her. She had two hours to get over the panic that was currently setting in.

The house lights dimmed and the crowded quieted as the screen in front of them came to life with the black and white numbers counting down. Beca swallowed hard. Two hours.

And two hours later and she hadn't managed to calm herself. In fact she couldn't figure out for the life of her if the movie even played. She thinks it did. It seemed like everyone around her watched it. But she didn't. She'd sat through the whole thing and she couldn't even tell you what it was about.

The lights came back on and the people in the auditorium began to stand. Some shook hands. Some hugged as they congratulated each other in a job well done. Her worst nightmare happened almost immediately after.

"So? What did you think?" Chloe asked turning towards her.

"It was great Chloe." Beca said. "You were amazing." It wasn't a complete lie. She's sure Chloe was amazing. But she wouldn't really know but Beca couldn't remember watching the film.

Chloe looked a little skeptical. Something was wrong with Beca. She could tell. "Let's go home." She said softly.

Beca nodded and immediately turned to walk down the long row so they could exit the theatre.

Once they made it outside the museum and cars were lined up to pick up the big names, the fresh air hit Beca. She felt a little better. At least she didn't feel trapped anymore. At least they were outside.

"Do you see the car?" Chloe asked as she linked her hand with Beca's.

"No" Beca lied. She wasn't looking for a car.

"Bree said it would be here just after." Chloe said as she pulled her clutch up to retrieve her phone from it.

"Hey look" Beca said pushing through the nerves. She pointed across the street.

"What?" Chloe asked looking up from her clutch.

"Look." Beca pointed again at the horse drawn buggy. "Wanna take a ride?"

Chloe's face scrunched. "Really?" She asked. "I thought you weren't feeling good?"

"I'm fine." Beca replied quickly. "Come on." She pulled Chloe's hand causing the actress to move. They moved between two parked SUV's and across the street. She handed over some cash to the driver as she climbed up into the carriage. Beca turned around and offered Chloe her hand. She hadn't anticipated this. It was easy for her to climb up in her pant suit but Chloe had to pull up her dress and maneuver her foot awkwardly to get it high enough for her high heel to land on the step. Beca pulled her up and they sat down in the carriage.

As the buggy pulled away, lights illuminated the basket they were in. It was a cool night in New York City and Chloe scooted Chloe to Beca wrapping her arms around the brunette for comfort and for warmth. "This is nice." Chloe said into Beca's ear.

"Yeah. It is." Beca replied. She felt calmer with Chloe's arms wrapped around her.

Chloe laid her head down on Beca's shoulder as she enjoyed the scenery. The buildings lit up. She didn't notice as the traffic began to die off but it did. The buggy stopped abruptly after about 10 minutes. Chloe's head popped up quickly.

"Walk with me for a bit?" Beca asked as she stood from the bench seat.

Chloe looked around confused. There was no one around.

"Chloe?" Beca asked softly snapping Chloe out of her trance.

"Okay." Chloe whispered.

Beca got down first and turned back towards the buggy. It was much easier for Chloe to get out but Beca still reached up and put her hands on Chloe's hips, gently guiding her down safely.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked as Beca linked their hands and intertwined their fingers. She let Beca pull her through the empty streets of Times Square. She couldn't believe it. It was only them. It was eerie. She'd been in Times Square hundreds of times. It was always crowded. No matter the time of day. It was never like this. Ever. She suddenly felt Beca stop in the middle of the side walk.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked again looking around.

"Why are you crying?" Beca asked.

Chloe didn't even realize she was crying until Beca asked.

"Because I'm a little freaked out." Chloe said dropping Beca's hand and covering her mouth with her hands.

"It's okay. I promise." Beca said softly. She rubbed her hands gently down Chloe's arms. "Chloe" She said earning the bright blue eyes on her. The lights of Times Square illuminated their entire surroundings. The bright LED lights only helped to enhance Chloe's confused bright baby blues. "You changed my life from the moment I met you. Well, from the moment I saw you actually." Beca smiled.

Chloe couldn't believe this was happening. She stood in one of the busiest, most crowded place in all of the world and it was completely empty except for her and Beca. And Beca was speaking to her. "I never want to live a life without you in it. You're my best friend and I love you more than anything in this world. And I want nothing more than to be with you, behind you and by your side for the rest of my life."

Chloe sobbed into her hands. This moment was perfect. She watched Beca pull a something from her pocket and drop to one knee. Chloe looked down and Beca who looked nervous as hell. Chloe couldn't contain the laugh that erupted through her tears at the sight of her girlfriend.

"Please marry me." Beca asked.

Chloe nodded. "Yes" She accepted. Beca stood up quickly and slipped the diamond ring onto Chloe's finger in one motion. She wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and picked the redhead up enough to spin her slowly as their lips met. She sat Chloe's feet back down on the concrete as the kiss ended. Their foreheads resting against each other.

"I can't believe you shut down Times Square." Chloe whispered.

Beca felt the words ghost across her lips.

"I know right." She teased. "I'm kind of awesome."

"Yes. You are." Chloe agreed ducking back in for another kiss.

"I love you so much." She said as she pulled away.

"I love you too." Beca replied. "Let's go home."

"Okay." Chloe agreed. She grabbed Beca's right hand with her left and wrapped her right arm around Beca's arm as she pulled herself as close to the chef as possible.

Beca stopped after a few steps. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked.

"There's no cabs." Beca said looking in all directions. "I didn't think about that." She said shaking her head.

Chloe smiled.

* * *

 **AN: And that's all on this one folks. Can't promise there won't be a one shot here and there in this universe but I also can't promise there will be. So, I hope you all enjoyed. Thanks for reading as always.**

 **Song Title Cred: Brazzi, Mine**

 **AN2: So, I'll probably take a while off. I have a few idea's rattling around in my brain but need some time to let it simmer. One is from a prompt I got before this story about the Bella's going to perform for the USO except Beca isn't a Bella. She's a soldier. And Chicago is there. And he's a soldier. So there's that one. I'm thinking about. But then I was also thinking about picking up where PP3 left off and going with a what could happen after universe. That's been done a bunch recently so I might pass. Don't know. Suggestions welcome. DM me. Thanks y'all.**


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